


what's this? what's this? there's fanfics everywhere!

by AlyxRae



Category: Final Fantasy XV, Kingdom Hearts, Mad T Party Band, RWBY, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Voltron: Legendary Defender, 僕のヒーローアカデミア | Boku no Hero Academia | My Hero Academia
Genre: < see that? See what I said there? I spoke too soon, Angst, Attempt at Humor, But imma try and keep it fun, Crack, Established Relationship, F/M, Fictober, Fictober 2018, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Friendship, Humor, I have no idea what I'm doing, Liverpepper's Kingdom Hearts Fanverse, M/M, Pre-Relationship, Rating May Change, Self-Indulgent, alot more Final Fantasy XV then I thought it was going to be lol, also we all knew there was going to be a shit ton of voltron right?, i can't help myself sometimes., omg i didn't know that was a tag, or really
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-01
Updated: 2018-10-31
Packaged: 2019-07-23 12:17:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 31
Words: 29,661
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16158836
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AlyxRae/pseuds/AlyxRae
Summary: Multiple fics, parings and fandoms for Fictober 2018.Every day will be a different adventure. Check the chapter names for the prompts and fandom :D





	1. "Can you feel this?" - FFXV

**Author's Note:**

> I know i have other things to do. I know, I know. But my creative juices are feeling hella dry and I need a little jump start to get back in the swing of things. I stumbled upon the [Fictober 2018](http://fictober18.tumblr.com) list by [barbex](http://barbex.tumblr.com) on tumblr and thought that it would be the perfect little thing to help me out of my slump. 
> 
> Be prepared because I have no idea what fandom I'm going to write next lol.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Noctis opens up the Armiger to Prompto.

“Okay let’s try again. Can you feel this?” Noctis closed his eyes again, focusing. His magic felt like a rubber band that was about to snap.

Sitting on the floor in front of him, Prompto was beginning squirm. “Uh, I don’t think so? I don’t know dude.”

“Just concentrate.”

“I am.” Prompto whined.

“Well, try harder.” Noctis huffed.

The two only made it another minute before Prompto broke the silence. “Ah I don’t feel anything! Are you sure I’m up for this because so far, this is working.”

Noctis felt his magic pulse against his skull, almost like it was annoyed. “Prom, just chill out alright? It’s not like this is the official ceremony or whatever. We’re just…testing it out.”

“Yeah, but if I can’t even feel the Armiger with you basically holding the door open for me, I don’t think I’m even going to make it to the ceremony, dude.”

Prompto fell back on the floor, sighing loudly. For the past few hours, Noctis had been practicing giving Prompto access to the Armiger. He wasn’t fully opening it for him. Wasn’t giving him an all access pass like Gladio and Ignis did. Everyone in the Citadel would actively lose their shit if he did that before Prompto was officially apart of his personal guard. Apart from his dad. King Regis would probably just laugh when everyone else wasn’t looking.

More than anything, Noctis was just trying to show Prompto what it felt like. To give him an idea of what it would be like once he was officially sworn in. Noctis remembers practicing with Ignis. Gladio too. They all did the exact same thing at one point or another. Practice makes perfect after all.

Ignis strolled through door Noctis had open confidently. Not a hitch in his step as he successfully pulled out a potion from the Armiger.

Gladio practically stomped in, summoning a broad sword and letting it crash into the table they were sitting at. That was hard to explain to Cor.

But Prompto…for some reason it wasn’t coming as easy to him.

Noctis glanced at his friend, sprawled out on the floor like a star fish. Since graduating from high school, they hadn’t been able to hang out as much. Noctis had his princely duties and Prompto had work and training. It sucked that they couldn’t do more. But it would all be worth it in the end when Prompto was a part of his Crownsguard. It would all be worth it.

“Alright, get up.” Noctis stood, kicking Prompto’s leg.

The blond groaned, rolling onto his side and practically hiding underneath the coffee table.

“Get up, you lazy chocobo butt. This is my first day off all month and were not wasting it here.”

Noctis crossed over to the kitchen, grabbing a water bottle out of the cabinet and filling it up.

From the floor of the living room, Prompto quietly spoke. “…chocobo butt?”

Noctis snorted. “Have you seen your hair? If they color wasn’t enough, your new style definitely looks like a certain bird.”

“Dude! Not cool! It took me days to perfect this look.” Prompto clamored to his feet, carefully tugging on a few strands of hair back in place. “Anyways, I guess I should stop moping. If the Prince of Naps is calling me lazy, then I know I got a problem.”

“Rude.”

Prompto laughed hurrying past the kitchen and dodging a granola bar the prince hurled at him.

With his water bottled filled and a baseball cap pulled low, Noctis was ready for the day. Prompto was already waiting by the door, checking over his camera as usual. Noctis sat in the hall while he switched out his slippers for shoes.

“Hey, Noct?”

“Hm?”

“What if…what if I _can’t_?”

Noctis paused. “Can’t what?”

Prompto fidgeted, turning so that he wasn’t facing Noctis at all. “What if I can’t use the Armiger? What i-if I can’t protect you? What if I’m not cut out for this whole Crownsguard thing after all?”

Noctis was afraid this would happen. Prompto played the part of the confident, care-free one out of the four of them, but the guy had layers. Deep layers. Noctis could see them sometimes. He could see weariness where there shouldn’t be. Bone deep exhaustion that came after a rough day at school or now, rough training sessions. Noct knew his friend well. He knew that Prompto help himself to a high, maybe impossible standard. Hell, Noctis did the same thing. Who would have guessed that two boys from completely different worlds could be so similar?

“Look, even if you can’t access the Armiger, which by the way we don’t even know yet, it doesn’t matter.”  Noctis looked down and pretended to tie his shoe. “You’re…you’re my best friend Prompto. No matter what you’re stuck with me. You can be a Crownsguard or maybe a royal photographer, hell I’ll make you the royal chocobo herder if you want. Just…just don’t worry, okay? Even if things don’t go like we planned, we’ll figure something out.”

Noctis felt like his cheeks were burning. Was that too much? Or maybe it wasn’t enough? Noct didn’t even reassure his friend. He didn’t say anything about trying again or that Prompto was just overreacting about the whole Armiger thing. Shit, did he say the right thing?

Just as Noctis was about to spiral into despair, Prompto chuckled. It wasn’t that self-deprecating chuckle that made Noct want to pull his hair out either. It was an honest, happy little laugh.   

Prompto turned to look down at Noctis, lighting up the small hallway with his smile. “Y’know, your highness, I don’t think Iggy gives you enough credit.”

“Uh…what?”

“C’mon, man, that was totally inspirational! Ignis should totally let you write your own speech next time you have to give one. I bet you would rock it.”

“Ugh don’t tell him that. Then I’d have more work to do. It’d be just like school all over again.”

“Hate to break this to you bro, but I’m pretty sure when you eventually become king you’re going to have to be writing a lot.”

“I’ll appoint someone to write for me then. My official pen-person.”

“Good idea, but we’ll have to come up with a better name.”

Noct smiled. He help out his hand for Prompto to help him up and then the two were out the door. Noctis was locking the door when he heard the smallest whisper behind him.

“Thanks, Noct.”

_Anytime, Prom._


	2. "People like you have no imagination"- Voltron

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Y'know those places where you can paint ceramics? Yeah, that where Lance takes Keith for date night.

By some weird set of circumstances, Keith was sitting alone in a mug painting shop.

Okay, there weren’t just mugs. There were plates and bowls and piggy banks and dinosaurs and a whole heap of other things. But mostly mugs. Which is what Keith had painted.

Had. As in past tense. As it ‘it’s already done and has been done for an hour and yet he is still sitting in this dumb shop surrounded by screaming kids and parents trying and failing to wrangle them, and _dammit Lance, you said you were going to say hi not sit down and chat for the past hour and—‘_

Keith has had a very long day.

The mug he painted was pretty simple. He painted the handle red with a thin black stripe running down the center and then painted the entirety of the inside black too. It was simple and just how Keith wanted it. So of courses Lance was going to make fun of him.

It took another five minutes of glaring for Lance to finally make it back to their table and when he did, Lance looked at Keith’s simple mug with a frown.

“What?” Keith grumbled.

Lance shook his head, settling down in his seat gracefully (how the hell did he do that, anyway? Why did he move like some goddamn mythical creature all they time and just like, force Keith to stop and stare?)

“People like you have no imagination.” He scoffed, a playful look in his eye.

Keith wanted to bang his head on the table. “What does that even mean? People like me? What kind of person am I?”

“You, my dear grumpy little bean, have yet to grow out of your emo phase.”

“…really? This again?”

“Hey, we went to high school together, dude. There’s no way I’m forgetting your eyeliner phase.”

“Lance…”

“It was kinda hot though.”

Keith laughed, despite himself. It was hard to stay mad at his boyfriend when he smiled like that. But he was still annoyed he had to wait so long.

“Are you close to being done? I’m getting hungry.”

“Patience, Keith! You can’t rush a master piece.” Said masterpiece was a ceramic turtle that Lance was practically dowsing in glitter paint.

“Were going to be here all day at this rate.” Keith grumbled. “This is the last time you get to pick where we go on date night.” 

“Excuse me, but do you remember the jousting incident? Y’know, when we got banned from every Walmart in the city in one day? Also, you picked _Walmart_ as out date night adventure. Who does that?”

“First off, it was a Super Walmart. You once spent two hours in a Super Walmart just testing out beds, don’t pretend you hate Walmart. And second, I’m pretty sure you were the one who suggested jousting with pool noodles.”

“And yet you’re the one who shoved me into the stack of toilet paper.”

Keith shrugged. “I still think you tripped.”

Lance rolled his eyes and went back to diligently painting his turtles face. As for Keith, he tried to find something to hold his attention. His phone had died long ago, during the first twenty minutes of waiting for Lance while he was catching up with some friends. Keith looked at his mug again, but really didn’t feel like adding anything else. He like the simplicity. It suited him.

While Keith was staring out the store window, another paintable mug appearing in front of him. Keith looked up at Lance who also laid out several different blue paints and some purples.

“Paint me a mug.”

Keith looked up at Lance, confused. “Uh, you know they charge for each thing you paint, right?”

Lance waved him off. “I know, I know. But you look bored. Paint a mug for me.”

“Um, okay.”

At first, Keith was going to copy the simple design in the colors Lance had laid out for him. A few brush strokes in, and Keith was changing his plan.

He was simple. His style was more minimalistic. But Lance? Lance was basically Howl in Howl’s Moving Castle. He was a room filled to the brim with trinkets and collectables, all of them colliding together in beautiful display. He was the type of person to hold on to a receipt because the dinner he paid for was something special.

Lance was colorful, bright, overwhelming in his charms and yet so humble.

A simple mug just wouldn’t do.

Keith practically jumped out of his seat.

“Whoa, where you going?” Lance asked.

“I need more colors.” Keith hurried to the paint station and began grabbing a rainbow colors. Behind him, Lance watched with a fond smile.  


	3. "How can I trust you?"-Voltron

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Turns out, Galra soldier Keith was only posing as Prince Lance's bodyguard.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is kind of a scene from one of my other fics, I Swear to You. Honestly when I saw the prompt for today that was all i could think of. 
> 
> All you really need to know is that Keith was placed as Lance's bodyguard during a time of peace between the Galra and Alteans, but with orders to kill the prince when the time is right. He choose a different route, but Altea was still attacked.

Altea was burning. Lance had no idea where his sister was nor where his father might be.

The window next to him was vibrating, the glass cracking ever so slightly. Soon, it would break. It would shatter into a million pieces and litter the floor with its shinning daggers.

Even broken, it would be more whole then Lance.

Lance felt like…well he wasn’t sure he could put his feelings into words. Devastated? Betrayed? Hurt? It all didn’t feel like enough for the swarm of emotions festering in his belly. It was like a solar flare was skimming his skin, burning him down to his bones and turning his blood to ash.

But he didn’t want to feel this hurt, this anger. He wanted…oh he wanted _so badly_ , to just reach out. To reach out to Keith and heal his wounds. Lance wanted to sit across from Keith and make him hold a cooling pack to his bruised cheek. He wanted to call for Coran and the medics to take a look at the gash on Keith’s side. Lance wanted to take away that look in Keith’s amber eyes. A look that mirrored his own painful feelings.

Lance wanted, but couldn’t. He couldn’t comfort Keith when he was part of the reason Altea burned. He couldn’t heal Keith’s wounds when his inaction had caused thousands of Alteans to suffer. Lance couldn’t ignore these crimes. Not as a prince, not as a person. Lance couldn’t forgive Keith.

Especially not when he found out that Keith was sent to kill him after months of pretending to be his bodyguard.

 “So this whole time… you were just lying to me? Just biding your time until your leaders told you to _murder_ me? This is… I can’t… I can’t believe how _stupid_ I was…”

Keith stayed on the opposite side of the room. His hands were clenched into fists at his side and his fluffy Galra ears were pressed tightly against his head. “Lance…I know we need to talk, but we have to leave. More troops could come by any second—“

“I know that!” Lance exclaimed. “How could I not? You’re comrades are attacking my planet!”

“Lance—“

“No I c-can’t, I can’t do this…” Lance clutched his chest. It was too much. “My home…my family…all this time, and you just _lied_? They’re in danger because of you!”

Keith’s ears twitched. “I tried, Lance. I tried for days to come up with a way to save you all. But Lotor—he was watching me. Don’t you understand? I couldn’t do anything with Lotor constantly behind my back.”

“I don’t want to hear your excuses! Just-just leave me alone!” Lance strode to the door. He couldn’t take this anymore. He couldn’t bear to look at Keith anymore.

“No.” Keith voice almost came out like a growl. Lance froze, a tremor of fear shuddering down his spine. Memories from the event in the hallway came coming back. Another, bigger Galra. A growl tearing from his throat. Lance, helpless on the ground while that Galra choked the life out of him…

If Keith hadn’t come along when he did, Lance most certainly would have died. Keith saved him when all this madness began, but it still wasn’t enough.

Lance clenched his shaking fist. “Leave. Me. Alone.” He spoke as forcefully as he could, mustering up all the power he held as an Altean Prince.

Keith wasn’t having it. “No. I’m not leaving you to die.”

“Really? Because I’m pretty sure your people are gunning down my citizens in the street.”

“That’s not fair and you know it. I’m not them.” Keith growled. “I don’t care what happens after this. You can hate me all you want, but do that after I get you out. Let me get you to safety. Please, Lance. _Trust me_.”

Lance wanted to. He wanted to trust Keith. He wanted it so bad it felt like his heart was being torn in two. The prince couldn’t help it when his mind wondered to the night they shared not too long ago. Sitting side by side on his balcony and watching the stars.

Lance had given Keith a gift. A courting gift. And Keith accepted without a moment of hesitation.

But now…that same gift was still there. An earring, a beautiful gem that dangled from Keith’s ear. Lance was still wearing its twin.

Two halves of the same whole.

“After everything that’s happened, how can I trust you?” Lance whispered. He knew Keith would hear.

A few moments passed in utter silence. The battle outside seemed muted and distant. All that mattered was this moment.

“You don’t have to trust me.” Keith’s said quietly. “Just, believe me when I say that I will get you out of here. I’ll take you to Allura. I’ll _protect you_. Please Lance…believe in me.”

 

 

“I believe in you.”   

 

 


	4. "Will that be all?"- FFXV

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Noct and Prom celebrate their coming of age the way any young adult would. By getting drunk in Noct's apartment.

“Is this really what you called me for?” Ignis stared down at the two boy tangled in a mess of sheets and pillows that once made up an ill-fated fort. 

Somewhere in the mess, Ignis guessed that Prompto was there and judging by the tufted of dark hair, Noctis definitely was.

“Really, Highness, this couldn’t have waited until later?” Ignis muttered.

Noctis’ head finally emerged from the blanket mess. His eyes were wide and unfocused.

Ah. So that explained the half full two liter of soda and empty vodka bottle. They were taking their coming of age in stride.

“Ignis!” Noctis exclaimed. He had a smile on his face that rivaled Prompto’s on a good day. Ignis tried his hardest to be disappointed, but in all honestly he was just happy Noct was so happy. It had been a while since the young prince smiled. Even if it was under the influence of alcohol, the advisor would take what he could get.

“Good evening, Noctis. I suppose Prompto is somewhere in that mess as well?”

The prince blinked, slowly. If Gladio had come instead of Ignis, there would be a video of this by now.

“Prom…? Yeah I think…yeah he’s here. Prompto! Iggy’s come to help us!”

The blankets under Noctis moved. All the sudden, the prince was rolled off to the side as Prompto finally dug himself out of the sheets.

“Iggy! Igster! Mr.Scen-Sean- ah shit, what’s your last name again?” Prompto slurred.

Ignis sighed. “Scientia. However I don’t think you’ll be able to say it properly in your current condition.”

“Ooo, you’re probably right Ig-master.”

Ignis frowned at the new, nonsensical nickname. “Sorry, but was there a reason you all called me on my night off? I was using this time to work ahead in some areas.”

Suddenly, Noctis jumped up. He nearly face planted into the couch a moment later, but somehow stumbled his way over to Ignis. Clutched in the prince’s hands was the TV remote.

“Prompto broke the TV.”

“I did Noct! I mean, _not_. Hehe, ‘ _Noct_ ’…”

Suddenly Ignis was actually very annoyed and not the least bit happy the prince was enjoying his time.

“Oh for goodness sake, this is what you called me for?”

Noctis stared up at Ignis with look the advisor hadn’t seen in years. Well before Prompto entered their lives and even before the daemon attack from so long ago. They were his puppy dog eyes. The bastard.

“Igniissss.” The prince whined. He actually whined like he was a child. “Prom and I were trying to watch Netflix and it wasn’t working, so then we switched to Hulu and that wasn’t working. I think Prompto is trying to sabotage me.”

“Lies!” the blonde shouted.

Well if this wasn’t both hilarious and frustrating. Ignis didn’t bother listening to another word out of the inebriated duo and grabbed the remote from Noct’s hand. The advisor stood in front of the TV and clicked over to Netflix, selecting the icon.

As it turns out, Noctis and Prompto had somehow managed to sign out of every streaming service they had. Ignis was half tempted to leave it and tell the two numbskulls that they broke everything, but chances are they would just end up giving him more of a headache.

It took a good ten minutes to enter everything correctly. On the couch behind him, Prompto was trying to balance pillow’s on Noct’s head while whistling the chocobo theme. It wasn’t going well.

 “Well now that that’s finished, will that be all?” Ignis asked.

Prompto suddenly grabbed Noct’s shirt, pulling him over so that he could whisper in the prince’s ear. There was a little back and forth, most of it incomprehensible drabble. Finally Noctis pushed Prompto away and sat up straight. His face smoothed over into a slightly clumsy imitation of Noct’s regular calm demeanor.

“Ignis.” Noctis stated.

Ignis held in a sigh. “Yes, Highness?”

“We need burritos.”

“Then I suggest you order delivery.”

“Ignis!”

“Treason! Noct, that’s treason!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This has exactly 666 words. ~spoopy~


	5. "Take what you need."-Liverpepper

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sleepless nights.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is kind of a niche fandom, but it's one I adore. [Liverpepper](http://liverpepper.tumblr.com) is an amazing Kingdom Hearts AU with such adorable and wonderful art and great humor. I gave a little bit of context in the story, but I highly recommend checking out the blog. Even if your not a fan/never played KH, it's easy to fall in love with. 
> 
> This story takes place in the beginning, with new dads and plenty of sleepless nights. Hope you enjoy :D

Contrary to what Squall might believe, Cloud always woke up when he went to take care of the twins. Sometimes it was hard to tell if he’d ever even fallen asleep in the first place. Once, Cloud tried to keep the baby monitor on his side of the bed. He legitimately tried to pin Squall down and wrestle it from his hands, but that didn’t turn out too well. The bastard was all muscle.

Cloud rolled onto his back, listening. From the sound of things Squall had managed to calm Sora down before Roxas heard all the commotion.  If both twins woke up at the same time then nobody would be getting any sleep.

It had been going on like this for a while. Ever since they brought the two boys home. Well, ever since Squall brought them home. Squall adopted the boys from a friend who just didn’t have the means to take care of two kids. He did something so incredible, taking on not one, but two infants who weren’t even related to him by blood.

The day Cloud met the twins, everything changed for the better.

They were so small and squishy. A weird word to use, but it was all Cloud could think of. The two boys were identical, with wide blue eyes and fuzzy brown hair. However their personalities couldn’t have been more different.

Squall could barely kept Sora occupied as he wiggled in his arms. The little boy was going to be a terror when he learned to walk and Cloud could already picture Squall wrapping everything in bubble wrap to try and avoid as many scraps and bumps as possible. Sora was already babbling, incoherent sounds bubbling from a wide smile that hardly ever went away.

Roxas was the calmer of the two, looking at everything with those big sea blue eyes. There was something in that gaze that resonated with Cloud. A curious nature that seemed almost unfitting for a six month old baby. When Cloud looked down at Roxas in his arms, the child seemed to be studying everything in sight. An old soul seeing the world again thought young eyes.

When Cloud saw the two boys, held them in his arms and watched Squall do the same, he couldn’t help but think _mine_. _My_ sons. _My_ boys. _My_ family. He didn’t realize how strongly he would feel until he was staring at his future. It didn’t matter what the adoption papers said. Squall may have been their legal guardian, but Roxas and Sora were _their_ sons.

Now if only Squall would get it through his thick skull that Cloud was here to help.

It was strange, almost like Squall didn’t want to burden Cloud or scare him off. Cloud remembers the conversation they had when Squall declared he was adopting the boys. Even with his shoddy memory, Cloud remembered that clearly.

Squall had tried giving him and out. Threw him a life line so that he could pull himself to shore while Squall embarked on this journey alone. And Cloud, he understood why he did it. He understood how much both of their lives were about to change. Hell they hadn’t even broken the topic of marriage and now Squall was getting kids? It was insane.

But Cloud didn’t want to leave. He didn’t want safety. He wanted Squall, and whatever else came with the man.

Convincing him that Cloud was here to stay was still a work in progress.

Nearly an hour had passed and Squall still hadn’t returned to bed. Cloud knew he wasn’t getting any sleep tonight; he’d been sleeping less and less due to his insomnia creeping back up again. He pushed the blankets to the side and stood, remembering to grab the baby monitor on the way out.

The wood floor felt cool under his feet as Cloud made his way down the hall to the twin’s room. The room used to be Cloud’s office, but he gave that up as soon as he knew the boys were definitely coming to live with them. (He may have been subtly moving things out the week prior, but Squall didn’t even notice.)

A soft yellow light made the boy’s room glow. Cloud could hear Squall’s soft snores before he even reached the door.

Squall had fallen asleep in the rocking chair. It was moved from its usual place by the window and pulled up right beside one of the cribs. Both Roxas and Sora were sound asleep, their little hands over lapping one another like they were trying to hold on. Sometimes, Cloud wondered why they bothered buying two cribs. The boys almost always ended up sleeping side by side.

Cloud looked down at the twins and pulled the soft blanket up to cover both of them. Then he turned to Squall.

Squall only ever looked his age when he was asleep. Then again, he did always have a brooding, mature look about him. But now, most of the time he just looked exhausted. So much more than a twenty one year old should.

With careful stroke, Cloud ran his fingers through Squall’ hair. The touch slowly woke Squall, but Cloud could tell he was fighting it every step of the way.

“You’ll hurt you back if you sleep on that chair.” Cloud whispered as soon as Squall’s bleary eyes focused on him.

Squall huffed, rubbing a hand down his face. “I just closed my eyes for a second.”

“I’d believe you if I didn’t just hear you snoring like a bear.”

Squall made a half attempt to swat Clouds hand away, but it was clear he liked the attention too much.

“C’mon, let’s get you back to bed.” Cloud whispered.

“It’s fine. I’ll stay here. I’ve got to be up in a few hours any way for work.”

Cloud gently tugged on Squall’s hair. “And you should spend those hours in bed, actually sleeping. I’ll stay with them.”

“You don’t have to do that.” Squall murmured. This man was honestly going to be the death of Cloud. He was too good sometimes. Too cautious of other people’s feelings. It was both so frustrating and so sweet. What Squall really needed was a dash of selfishness so that he could put himself first for once.

“Get up, Squall. Don’t make me carry you.” Cloud huffed.

“Like you could.”

“Don’t challenge me, Leonhart.”

Cloud almost laughed at Squall’s pout, but he didn’t want to risk waking the twins. With a reluctant slump to his shoulders, Squall let Cloud pull him up from the chair and lean him out of the room.

The walked quietly back to their bed room, the only sound from their footsteps and shallow breaths. It almost made Cloud jump when Squall broke the silence.

“You don’t have to do this, you know. You could still take the out.”

Cloud never wanted to punch someone so much in his life. Anything to get through that thick skull to the man’s brain. Maybe then Squall would finally understand how much leaving wasn’t an option to Cloud.

Instead of resorting to violence, Cloud tugged on Squall’s hand and stopped just outside their door.

“I’m not going to do that Squall. No matter how much you say it.”

Squall nodded, but he still didn’t look entirely convinced. He really was trying to drive Cloud mad.

“Squall…” there were so many things to say, but Cloud didn’t even know where to begin. “Just…just take what you need from me, okay?”

“What?” he frowned. Cloud grumbled, trying to figure out what he was saying.

“Take what you need. We’ve known each other for years and I can’t remember a time when I couldn’t come to you for something I needed. You…you were always there. Still are, you overachiever. For a long time it just…I wanted to return the favor I guess. I want you to know that you can rely on me. Depend on me.”

Cloud tightened his grip on Squall’s hand, his heart thumping in his ears as he stared into those familiar blue-grey eyes.

“I’m not going anywhere. Even if you try to shove me out the front door. So, be a little selfish. Kick me out of the bed to check on the twins every once and while. I…I really want to do this.”

Almost in slow motion, Squall untangled his hand from Cloud’s grasp. Squall gently brought both hands up to Cloud’s face, his thumb mapping out Cloud’s cheek bone like it was a goddamn treasure. Cloud was almost embarrassed at the fact that his heart was beating so fast. He hadn’t gotten this flustered since the first few months they were dating, and that was years ago. But this was _Squall_. His Squall. _His_.

The kiss was gentle and sweet. A soft press of lips that barely held for more than a few seconds. Even so, Cloud felt like he was going to burst.

“Have I told you lately that I love you?” Squall asked, a warm smile on his lips.

“Once or twice. Wouldn’t hurt to hear more.” Cloud smiled back.

“Well then, I love you Cloud.”

“I love you too, Squall.”  


	6. "I heard enough, this ends now" - FFXV

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aranea is hanging out with the boys and an interesting challange is throw her way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HIGHSPECS  
> i freakin' love this ship, ya'll have no idea.

“Bullshit.” Aranea rearranged the cards in her hands. She only needed one more Queen to have the full set.

“It’s true!” The blonde one, Prompto, was practically vibrating. “Ignis is pro with his lance. He could totally hold his own against you.”

“Like I said before, short stuff, _bullshit_.”

“Wrong game.” The prince mumbled. From the corner of her eye, she saw him move to take a spoon from the middle of the table. Game on.

How a mercenary, formerly under contract with the Niflheim Empire, ended up playing a card game at a caravan with the prince from the opposing nation was beyond Aranea. It’s not like she had anything personally against Lucis, or its people. Her work with the Empire was strictly professional. Being a lance for hire meant the she couldn’t blazingly support one side or another. It was bad for business.

Of course, Aranea would be lying if she said she actually enjoyed working for the Empire. They were heartless, greedy bastards who didn’t care who they stepped on to get ahead. Honestly, the prince and his retinue were far more fun to hang around. Even if they insisted on a kids game like Spoons.

Another card passed through Aranea’s hand. With light fingers, she grabbed one of the two remaining plastic spoons from the center of the table. The prince sent her a knowing smirk.

“C’mon Noct, you know I’m telling the truth.” Prompto wasn’t even paying attention to the cards in his hands. He was too focused on the conversation.

The prince sighed. “Ignis is good with a lance, but you know he’s better with daggers. I don’t know, Prom, I kind of feel like Aranea would win in this situation.”

“Smart kid.” Aranea nodded.

The big guy next her laughed. “You hear that Iggy? Even Noct thinks you’d lose to her.”

“I have to agree with his Highness’s assumption in this matter.” Ignis had forgone the card game and instead was inside the caravan cooking lunch. The window was wide open give Aranea a glimpse at the advisor while he worked.

It was not a bad view. Not at all. 

The prince’s advisor was something special. Aranea had no problem in admitting this, but it was odd to be honest. Most of the guys she fell for were hunters or soldiers. Big, gruff guys that people were afraid to make eye contact with. Those were the type of people she had been surrounded by for years. What she was used to.

Ignis on the other hand came out of fucking nowhere. And Aranea couldn’t help but feel excited by feelings running rampart in her veins every time she managed to catch his eye. It was thrilling.

Of course, now wasn’t the time to get caught up in feelings. They were literally in the middle of a gods damned war. While a card game or two was possible, there wasn’t time to flirt with a handsome advisor. No matter how much the feelings might be mutual. And Aranea was nearly positive that it was mutual. For as subtle as Ignis might be, Aranea had eyes sharper than anyone. Whatever he tried to hide, she could see.

It took a good minute before Gladio noticed the spoons already missing and the big guy practically lunged for the last one. Prompto shriek and his cards went flying as he reached for the spoon.

Aranea wouldn’t even call the fight for the spoon ‘wrestling’. With one shake of his arm, Prompto was thrown off Gladio who held the spoon triumphantly.

“Looks like you’re on dish duty, squirt.” Gladio teased.

“No far! I totally had my hand on it first!” Prompto argued.

Ignis popped his head out from the caravan window. “Prompto even I can tell that’s a lie and I’ve been in here the whole time.”

“Lame. Everyone is against me.” He huffed.

Aranea twirled the spoon between her fingers. “Quit whining. I’ll help you dry if that’ll get you to shut up.” She didn’t know why she offered her help. Something about Prompto made her want to help him. Like he was her annoying little brother that followed on her heels.

These boys were really growing on her. It was annoying. And a little weird.

“Don’t you dare.” Ignis stepped out of the caravan holding two plates in his hand. “You are a guest, and guests don’t do dishes. Make room, please.”

Noct and Prompto cleaned up the cards while Ignis set down the food. Who knew tacos could look so fancy?

“Relax, Specs. I don’t mind. Besides, if someone doesn’t help him, Blondie is going to keep whining all night.”

Prompto narrowed his eyes. “And here I thought you were on my side.”

Aranea shrugged, taking one of the plates and digging in. If she could eat only one thing the rest of her life, it would be the damn tacos. It was like they were made by the fucking gods.

Somehow the conversation made a 180. Prompto was back to boasting about Ignis’s lance skills. He rattle on about battle after battle, telling the story about hunts with more detail then Aranea cared for. The prince seemed to enjoy retelling the stories as well and added in comments here and there.

After hearing about it over and over, Aranea stood, “Aright, I’ve heard enough. This ends now.”

Ignis, all polite manners and posh upbringing, didn’t actually groan. He did however sigh and dropped his shoulders ever so slightly.

“Must we?” He asked.

“Wait, what’s going on?” Prompto asked. Aranea rolled her eyes.

“It seems that all you boasting of my skills seems to have convinced Miss Highwind that a test of skills is in order. However, might I add that I, in no way, believe that I am able to win.”

“And that’s why they call you the smart one.” Aranea teased. It was worth it to see that small half smile on his lips.

Prompto whooped and even the prince looked more excited then Aranea had ever seen. Gladio led them to a place just outside of the safety of the rest stop. It was a wide, flat stretch of land. Perfect for training and sparing. Once the rules were set, Ignis and Aranea stood face to face, lances at the ready.

Off to the side, others were cheering and egging each other on.

“So, ready to for this, Specs?” she asked coolly. The wind was pulling at her hair making strands streak across her face.

“Ready as I’ll ever be.” He answered. Ignis’s voice was calm and cool, but his body was poised to fight. His eyes, so bright, were focused on her. Aranea couldn’t help but feel and odd thrill in her chest. This man was just too interesting to let go.

“Don’t worry, Ignis. I’ll try to go easy on you.”

“I’ll try to do the same, Aranea.”


	7. "No worries, we still have time." - Voltron

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> New boyfriends Keith and Lance getting ready for a Halloween party.

“Shit, I’m sorry! I thought I gave myself enough time.” Lance shouted towards the door. He was still sitting in front of his floor length mirror, trying to get his makeup right. He just had to pick a complicated character to dress up as. Oh well, at least he and Keith would arrive to the party in style.

“No worries, we still have time.” Keith call back.

Lance had already made him wait fifteen minutes, and he didn’t even have his costume on. What a lousy way to start a sixth date.

“Son of a nutcracker.” Lance mumbled. Labyrinth was a fantastic movie, and David Bowie was iconic in it, but hot damn this makeup was _hard_. This was his fourth attempt at trying and the complicated swooping lines still looked off. “Maybe I should just be a cat burger again.” He mumbled.

He still had the cat ears somewhere, and a cool black mask. But he’d already told Pidge he was coming as Jareth. Lance didn’t want to disappoint.

“Hey Lance, do you need help or anything?” Keith’s voice was closer. Nearly at his bedroom door.

“N-nope! I’m totally cool. Got this all under control.” That was a bold face lie. Lance just really didn’t want his new boyfriend to see him with half of his face covered in smeared eyeliner (makeup attempt three was a bit of a catastrophe).

Here’s the thing. Lance had known Keith for years. All throughout middle school and high school. Always aware of each other but never quite friends. It was like the world had suddenly spun backwards when Keith asked Lance out on a date three weeks ago. It was even more of a shock when Lance found out that Keith had been wanting to ask him out for years but never quiet had the courage. And all that time, Lance just figured that Keith was out of his league. Keith nearly choked on his soda when Lance told him that.

Everything was still new. New enough where Lance wasn’t sure where if this was going to stick for longer then month or not. He had hope, he always had hope. He was a goddamn hopeless romantic for crying out loud. And Keith was…well Keith was pretty special. Definitely different from anyone he’d ever dated before.

Lance wanted to make sure to hang on to this one. So he wasn’t about to let Keith see him when he looked like he belonged with the chimney sweeps from Mary Poppins. That was like, tenth date stuff.  

So of course, the door opened the moment that thought ran through his mind. Keith’s hand popped thought the door.

“Pidge texted you like, five times. Want me to answer her?” Keith was holding Lance’s phone I his hand and— _holy shit Lance forgot Keith was going to the party as Rufio._

Shitty makeup forgotten, Lance practically jumped Keith. “HOLY SHIT! YOU LOOK AMAZING.”

Keith’s face was as red as the streaks in his hair. While his hair was too long to spick like Rufio’s, it still looked damn cool with all the red pieces blending in with the black. The shredded leather at his hips and worn looking vest looked like they were straight out of the damn movie, and it absolutely blew his mind that Keith modified that stuff from what he found a thrift store.

“Keith! I can’t believe you made all this!” Lance exclaimed.

Keith blinked, looking back down at his costume. “I mean, I didn’t really make anything, I kind of just tore a bunch of things up to be honest.”

“Who cares about the technicalities, dude you totally win.”

“Um, win what?”

“Halloween in general? Ugh, now I’m going to look like a hot mess when we roll up to the party together. Ugh, maybe I will wear my old costume again…”

“Hey,” Keith tugged Lance’s hand. “You worked really hard on your costume. Don’t you want to wear it?”

“Yeah, but I cannot figure out this makeup for the life of me.” Lance sighed.

Keith studied Lance’s face, asking him to turn when needed. “Well…have you tried watching a video? Like a makeup tutorial?”

“…no.”

“Should have thought that earlier, huh hotshot?”

“S-shut up." Lance felt his cheeks flush. "Now go grab the olive oil from the kitchen. I’m out of makeup wipes.”

“Olive oil helps?”

“Yes, not stop questioning me, assistant!”

Keith paused. “Wait—since when am I your assistant?”

“Since now. Oh, and while you’re in the kitchen, mind grabbing me some water?”

“I regret helping you.”

Lance smiled. Yeah, they were still pretty new at this who dating thing, but there were somethings that he didn’t need time to figure out. Lance leaned in, gently turning Keith’s head with his fingertips. He kissed the other boy lightly and kept their faces close once he pulled away.

“You are a liar, Keith Kogane and you know it.”

Keith shuffled on his feet, his cheek red and eyes blazing. “Shut up and kiss me again.”

“I’d be happy too.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> okay but can you just imagine Keith as Rufio??? Like, i didn't realize how much i needed this until now.


	8. "I know you do." - Voltron

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everyone gets caught while there on a Galra ship and it's up to dear old Adam to save them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Picture this: Adam helping rescue Shiro from the Garrison a la the first episode, and then when Shiro is all good and recovered, the two of them having a heartfelt reunion. And then two seconds after a tender embrace, Adam straight up yells "I TOLD YOU KERBEROS WAS A BAD IDEA. BUT I'M GLAD YOUR ALIVE, DUMBASS."
> 
> Like. That's all i wanted. 
> 
> (also sorry this is a day late lol)

Adam did not sign up for this.

He didn’t sign up for hurling through space on a giant ship that looked like a castle. He didn’t sign up for fighting purple, terrifying aliens that were as bloodthirsty as a pack of orcs. And he definitely did not sign up for running into his ex-fiancé and living with him in such close proximity.

That was just icing on the fucking cake.

And the sprinkle on that cake was the fact that Takashi and the rest of the paladins had gotten themselves captured, and Adam was the only one who could do anything about it.

Getting the kids was easy. For some reason, the Galra still didn’t take the other paladins very seriously, even thought they had fought and defeated fleets before. Adam was able to take out two of the guards on his own before setting the others free.

At that moment, Keith and the others were busy completing their mission while Adam went ahead to find Takashi. He was the one the Galra seemed most interested in. The commander wasted no time carting Takashi off so some interrogation room.

Adam tried his best not to think about what was happening to Takashi at that moment.

As he crawled through a vent, Adam couldn’t help but think about the events that led him to this point in life. He had no idea that by following Katie Holt up to the roof that night would end up changing his life forever.

Whether it was for better or worse, Adam wasn’t sure yet.

(The answer is better. So much better. But he wasn’t ready to admit that just yet.)

Adam paused, bringing up the holo map to double check his position. According to the information Pidge had, he should be just about there. A strangled grunt only solidified his position.

Carefully, Adam slipped out of the vent  and dropped to the ground. The hall was bathed in ominous purple light and in all honesty, Adam couldn’t help but roll his eyes. Seriously, he never thought that aliens would be so dramatic as to cover _literally everything_ in purple. They really committed to the aesthetic. It was almost funny.

Adam winced as he heard another half smother grunt of pain. That was Takashi. No doubt about it. There was a deep grumble of laughter that followed shortly after.

The Galra was starting on some sort of monologue.  Something about ‘pathetic humans’ and ‘yay Zarkon’ or something along those lines. Adam had grown pretty good at tuning out useless voices over the years, and today was no different. He needed to focus on getting Takashi out of there as fast as possible.

The door the interrogation room was a standard door, with a narrow window just above eye level. An electronic lock panel was off to the side, but it didn’t look like the Galra commander decided to lock the door. Hubris was one sure way to lose a battle.

 Adam wasn’t sure if there were any other guards inside. He glanced inside the room, but only saw the beefy commander and Takashi. Takashi, who was tied down to a metal chair and bleeding. Anger swirled in Adam’s chest.

Reaching into a pocket on his belt, Adam pulled out a small capsule. He waved at Takashi through the window, trying to get his attention. When he finally did, Adam held up the capsule for Takashi to see and mimicked holding his breath. Takashi nodded, ever so slightly, and took a deep breath.

Adam activated the capsule and tossed it inside. In seconds, it burst open and thick smoke quickly filled the room.

The Galra commander hacked and coughed, throwing out some terrible curses while he reached for the door. As soon as the door flung open, the commander stumbled out and crashed to the floor.

Adam wasted no time, grabbing what looked like a control key and heading inside. The smoke was still in the air, not quite as suffocating but still not fun to breath. Once he got close with the key, the glowing purple cords that held Takashi’s wrist down fizzled out. The two stumbled out into the hall.

Takashi gasped, taking deep breaths after holding it for so long. “Th-thanks.”

“Don’t mention it. Also your capacity for getting kidnapped so often is alarming.” Adam hurried, pulling Takashi by the arm. He didn’t need to hold on to him, didn’t need to lead him, but Adam couldn’t let go. He couldn’t seem to let go of Takashi’s arm.

“I’ll try to work on that.” Takashi chuckled. “What about the others. Are they okay?”

“They’re fine. I managed to get to them first. They should be done with the mission, which means were need to get out of here— _shit_.” Adam stopped so abruptly that he actually slid a bit on the smooth metal floor. Takashi kept him from actually falling to the floor.

There were two sentries down the hall, and they just spotted new targets.

“Adam, get behind me.” Takashi didn’t wait for Adam to move. He stepped forward, throwing his arm out and gently pushing Adam back.

“Really, Takashi? Your faith in me is astounding.”

Seeing the great leader of Team Voltron flounder was definitely a highlight of Adam’s day. “I-I didn’t mean—you _know_ what I meant I just…well I—“

“C’mon, Takashi. We have a job to do.” The sentries were advancing. Metal feet clanging against the floor.

“…be careful.” Takashi voice was so low, it was almost a whisper.

“You too.”

“Don’t let them get behind you. And remember they always aim for your center.”

“I know, Takashi. Trust me, I’ve got this.”

From the corner of his eye, Adam could see the small grin on Takashi’s face. A look that he remember from a time before all this. Before this ship, before the war. Back before Kerberos and before Takashi’s body began to fail him. Back when it was just the two of them, Adam and Takashi, chasing their dreams side by side.

Adam didn’t sign up for getting flung into space with his ex-fiancé and a group of teenagers. But seeing that smile? The smile that, for so long, was only visible in memories, Adam couldn’t help but feel grateful for everything that happened. Grateful that they had a second chance.

“I know you do, Adam.”

  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (Adam is still totally in love with Shiro and vice versa, but Adam is petrified of actually being in love with him because he already lost Shiro once and he doesn't think he'll actually be able to survive if he lost him again and they're in a war and they have all these kids that need to get back home to their families and Adam is still living with some guilt from pushing Shiro away/breaking off their engagement before Kerberos and he doesn't know how to even begin to apologize, especially after everything that Shiro's been through, so he keeps their relationship firmly in the friendzone, but it's hard being 'just friends' when you know someone so well and loved them so deeply and because of that, sometimes the only way Adam knows how to deal with that is with sass and poking fun to like distract from the big stuff aka feelings and Shiro KNOWS but he is also traveling through some uncharted territory right now with all his new responsibilities and also learning how to deal with the trauma he endured so for both of them, their relationship is at a stand still and it's actually really sad because everyone, and I mean EVERYONE can see how much the love each other and how much it hurts to be apart.) 
> 
> Dear lord i have so many headcannons for theses two it's not even funny.


	9. "You shouldn't have come here." - Breath of the Wild

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sidon gets a little zapped.

“Well, that could have gone better.” Sidon sighed. His left arm still felt a bit numb from the shock, and the arrow hadn’t even hit him. It grazed his arm so slightly that it looked more like a paper cut then an actual shock arrow sliced his arm. The tiny bit of electricity that managed to escape the enchanted arrow still felt like he was struck by a lightning bolt. Sidon couldn’t imagine what would have happened is the arrow actually met its mark.

Really, Sidon was lucky to be alive. However, the Zora prince didn’t focus on that thought. It would only weigh him down.

Sidon made his way over to the Hero, his eyes searching for any visible wounds. Link hadn’t really moved since the Lisalfos had been defeated.

“Link, my friend, are you alright? You weren’t wounded, were you?” Sidon asked.

The Hero finally moved, glancing over his shoulder. He shook his head once and then hurried to loot the defeated monsters.

Sidon breathed a sigh of relief. “That’s good to hear. I know you are more than capable of handling these beasts on your own, but I just want to make sure—“

“You shouldn’t have come here, Sidon.” Link voice, though quiet, always cut through the air like a blade. Something about it made people stop and listen. Maybe it was because he used it so little, but every time he spoke it was like the world itself paused just to make sure he was heard.

The prince bowed his head. “I am sorry for intruding. You are more than capable of taking care of things on your own. I was just…worried. One of the guards reported an influx of monsters in the area and I wanted to be sure you we okay, Link. I am sorry if you thought that I was belittling your skills as a warrior.”

“Th-that’s not…” Link huffed, frustrated. His face seemed a little red as well. Was he feeling alright?

“Link…are you unwell? You look a little flushed.” Sidon stepped closer, looking down at the little hero with a concerned tilt to his head.

Link’s gaze could only be described as ‘blazing’.

“I meant that you shouldn’t have come to a place where the enemy was using shock arrows, you frustrating, overgrown fish.”

Sidon blinked. That very well might have been the most he’d ever heard Link say in one go. And the hero called him…and _overgrown fish_? He should be insulted really. Fish and Zora were two very different beings after all, but Sidon couldn’t find it in him to be even a little bit peeved.

The prince chuckled. “That was unexpected, but appreciated nonetheless. Thank you for being concerned about me, Link.”

The hero shrugged, but his casual indifference was marred by his still red cheeks.

“I have to admit, facing off against shock arrows wasn’t my best decision.” Sidon tried to sound nonchalant, but the fact that his arm was still numb was getting a little alarming.

Link’s eyes narrowed at the prince until he finally notice the small cut on Sidon’s limp arm. There was a black burn spider webbing out from the shallow wound and it wouldn’t take a genius to know what happened.

“Oh for Hylia’s sake…” Link hurried over, reaching in his pack for something. He tugged on Sidon’s hand, leading him to a smooth bolder where the two could sit.

“Link, its fine. I can wait until we reach the Domain.”

Link simple stared the prince in the eye until the latter conceded. Link dress the wound, coating it in some sort of gel that helped chase away some of the numbness in Sidon’s arm. Once that was done, Link used a worn looking tunic to cover the area and tied it on snuggly.

“Thank you, Link. You truly are the greatest friend I could ever ask for.” Sidon smiled, showing off all his razor sharp teeth.

Unlike other Hylian’s, who saw his grand size and predator features as something to be feared, Link didn’t even flinch. Maybe that’s what Sidon adored about the hero. His ability to see people for who they truly were and not be distracted by outward appearance. Or maybe he just liked Link’s limitless courage as he battled to protect all of Hyrule and its people.

Either way, as the pair walked side by side to Zora’s domain, Sidon couldn’t help but feel like something was changing between him and the hero. Something good.

And all it took was getting grazed by a shock arrow.


	10. "You think this troubles me?" - Mad T Party

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Um.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This...this is probably the most self indulgent thing I've ever written. I don't expect anyone to read this really, since the fandom is so small and practically dead since the show's been gone for years, but if you do end up reading this, thanks???
> 
> A little context I guess, because most of you won't know, this is an Alice in Wonderland AU, with the main inspiration from Wonderland themed band, Mad T Party (it was in California Adventure and i still miss it). 
> 
> Umm, the characters are based off of Alice character, but all of them with human traits. [Mallymkun](http://briannacherrygarcia.tumblr.com/post/27944993961/a-mallymkun-study-similar-to-the-one-i-did-for) the Dormouse, [Thackery](http://briannacherrygarcia.tumblr.com/post/26599604151/still-figuring-out-a-definitive-way-to-draw) the March Hare, [Absolem](http://briannacherrygarcia.tumblr.com/post/30193349453/a-study-of-absolem-i-actually-enjoyed-drawing-him) the Caterpillar, Chess or Cheshire (i think we all know who he is), Tarrant Hightopp as the Mad Hatter. (Thackery does have animal traits aka his fluffy ears)
> 
> ...this is so self indulgent like i can't even.

“You think this troubles me, mouse?”

“I think it inconveniences you, and let’s be real, it’s fun to watch you squirm, Abs.”

“Oh is that an insect joke? It’s like I’ve never heard one of those before.”

“Do those bug you? I could stop, but honestly it’s so easy to _shell_ them out.”

Absolem pushed up his yellow tinted glasses and fixed Mally with a bored look. “I feel like you were reaching a bit with that one.”

Mally shrugged. “Okay, so puns are a lot harder than I thought. Clean ones, that is.”

The playful smirk on Mally’s face had no effect on Absolem. Nothing really bothered the caterpillar. Except perhaps Chess, but who knows where the cat went off to during their down time.

During his down time, Mally usually liked to nap, but someone had switched his tea out for coffee that morning and now the dormouse was wired. Granted, any normal person should have been able to tell the difference between tea and coffee, and considering his friends, Mally definetly should have been one of those people. But dormice were particularly drozy in the mornings and Mally could barely stumble out of bed, let alone tell the difference between two drinks.

(Tarrant would be absolutely scandalized, but the Hatter hardly noticed anything that wasn’t directly in front of his nose or related in some way to Alice.)

In retaliation for now being so hopped up on caffeine that he couldn’t sit still, Mally had decided to prank the rest of his friends. He didn’t know who exactly tricked him however, hence targeting all of his friends.

All of Tarrant’s thread in his work room had been replaced with sour straw candies.

Mally had renamed all the mixes on Nivens computer to ‘Who R U’.

Chess’s favorite drum sticks were currently locked in a box with the key hidden somewhere in the hotel. (There was a scavenger hunt and everything. Mally could not stress enough that he was _really_ awake and _really_ bored.)

For Absolem, Mally had put duct tape over the zippers of all his hoodies. That one was funny.

He didn’t prank Alice, mainly because well, it’s _Alice_. The woman had a nose for his bullshit and could almost predict any trick he’d try to pull on her. Not to mention, she had a wicked temper and would prank his ass so hard, Mally would think he was back in Underland.

He did however steal her scarf. But that was completely unrelated.

The last person on his list was Thackery. And…maybe he should have left him off the list. But when Mally committed to something stupid, he _committed_. Sure in retrospect, there was no way it was his boyfriend that switch his tea for coffee, but also in retrospect, Thackery was the closest and had the second best nose and should have figured up what was wrong before Mally drank that evil, burnt, bean juice.

Mally might be getting a little hyper. This is why you shouldn’t give a dormouse coffee.

As Mally stretched out on the couch, mindlessly strumming his guitar and watching Absolem pick apart the duct tape on his hoodie, there was a loud thump from down the hall.

“MALLYMKUN.”

Uh oh. Full name. Mally was in deep shit. The dormouse bolted to the front door, leaving his guitar behind. But as soon as he turned the handle, the door won’t budge.

“What the—why won’t this open!?”

Absolem, still looking as cool and collected as ever, spoke. “ Oh did I forget to mention? Tarrant seemed to have discovered online shopping. He nearly maxed out Alice’s credit card in the process. Either way, the door is completely blocked by all his purchases.” He looked up, his glassed gleaming like a goddamn anime character. “I hope it doesn’t inconvenience you, Mallymkun.”

“Absolem Katchadourian, you son of a Bandersnatch I will— _shit_!”

The door down the hall burst open, Thackery’s silhouette in full view.

“Mally.”

The dormouse tried to put on a charming smile. “H-hey honey bunny, did you enjoy your nap?”

“ _Mallymkun._ ”

“Ahaha…I’m so screwed.”

Thackery finally came into the living room and when he did, it was pretty clear what he was angry about. Mally had somehow managed to dye his ears black. And it wasn’t good. It was patchy as all hell, with bits of teal still peeking out. It looked god awful, but Mally was two seconds away from laughing his ass off. Thackery looked like he was back in high school again. When he decided to rebel against his Upland upbringing by being a post card for the emo scene.

This was probably the funniest shit Mally had ever seen. Even if his boyfriend decides to kill him, holy shit it would be worth it.

All the sudden, Thackery lunged for Mally. The dormouse squeaked (a sound he would admittedly deny later) and ducked away from the hare.

“Do you know how long it takes for this to fade?!” Thackery shouted.

“C’mon Thack, you look great! We are definitely going to have some fun tonight—“

“S-stop that! You don’t get to make this okay!”

“It’s fine Thack. It’s temporary anyways.”

“My ears are teal Mally! It’s going to stain!!”

Mally chuckled, dodging another failed attempt at capture. “Quit worrying, honey bunny. If you want, I’ll help you wash it out. We can stay in the shower all night.”

It was almost too easy to make Thackery blush. “H-how…? How does everything that comes out of your mouth end up sounding so _dirty_?”

Mally shrugged. “It’s a talent.”

From the kitchen table, Adsolem sighed. “Well, this didn’t turn out at all like I was hoping. If you two are going to keep flirting, please do it somewhere else. This is a communal area.”

Thackery seemed to get even redder, his hands twitching like he wanted to reach for his ears. He swiftly turn and marched back to their room.

“Hey wait up, Thack! Let’s watch a movie!”  

“No. You’re not allowed in the bedroom anymore. Not until this stupid dye washes out.”

“Wait, what?! Where am I going to sleep? Thackery that bed is made out of memory foam!”

“Maybe you should have thought about that before you dyed my ears!” The door slammed inches away from Mally’s face.

Okay, so back to his previous thought: he really shouldn’t have pranked his boyfriend.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ....side note........Marchmouse (Thackery/Mally) is still my number one, OTP. 
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
> also i think tomorrows story is going to be Mad T related to soooooo sorry?


	11. "But I will never forget!" - Mad T Party

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "How long is forever?"  
> "Sometimes, just one second."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Alice](http://briannacherrygarcia.tumblr.com/post/108771657363/tarrant-still-blushes-every-time-he-gets-a-hug) and [Tarrant](http://briannacherrygarcia.tumblr.com/post/74253903844/i-got-inspired-watching-some-old-school-cartoon) [forever](http://briannacherrygarcia.tumblr.com/post/139389249753/crystalkitten-112115)

The thing about Underland is that things are never as they appear. Beautiful flowers open up and start saying that harshest things. Simple forest animals don waist coats and jackets and fret about politics. An innocent looking girl is the only one in the land who has the power to slay a beast.

One could say that that was a part of the worlds charm. That something new and exciting was bound to happen around every corner. But Tarrant knew the truth. He was the only one who did and people called him mad for it. Well, all that knowledge could easily drive any person mad. It wasn’t a far stretch when he thought about it.

That was his curse, the source of his madness. Tarrant didn’t, or couldn’t, forget. He remembered every life he ever had. Ever hatter that filled the Role lived on inside of him. Remembered only by him.

There was a funny little man with a green hat and a big nose. A young, cool looking man in a brown leather jacket and scruff on his chin. A man with curly orange hair and eyes that seemed to change color with his mood.

On and on and on and on…his own personal rabbit hole burrowing in his head. Tarrant would often get lost in those memories. Blanking out and diving into a personality long past.

A person long past.

A Role emptied only to be filled again.

It had come to no surprise to the young hatter that he was a Role Holder. He always knew it was his fate just like he knew what sort of stich to use on silk. He just knew things. Things he had no business knowing and yet every reason to.

Tarrant knew the story backwards and forwards. The Role Holders would be gathered by the White Queen. They’d rally together to fight the Red Queen and her army of cards until they couldn’t fight anymore. Then, they would find Alice. There was always an Alice.

She would drop down from a different world, change all their lives with wonder in her eyes and strength in her delicate hands. She would turn Underland right side up and fix the damage that was done.

And then…she would leave. Alice always left.

_“You will forget again.”_

_“But I could never forget! I will never forget you, Hatter.”_

(No matter what she said, she always forgot.)

With Alice gone back to her own world, the Role Holders would fade too. After all, once the game of chess is won, it only made sense to put away all the pieces. There wasn’t a reason for them to hang around.

All the others, the hare’s the hatters, the white rabbits, cats and dormice, they all faded from history. There was no parade to celebrate the work they did. No portraits hanging in the White Castle. Nothing but Tarrant’s memory of friends long gone, until new faces would step up to take the Role again.

This was the way of Underland. The story that was sew into the land, destined to repeat itself over and over again. 

Until it didn’t.

The world fell into ruin. The Role Holders were gathered, but Alice didn’t come. The Red Queen’s army was fiercer than ever before. They fought against the Red Queen with all their might, but lands still fell to her rule and red roses spread across the land. They fought and fought, losing one of their own along the way.

The role of the dormouse remained empty for far longer than any of them expected. But it was filled, just like before, with a young dormouse that shared the same name as the one they lost. It stung, like someone had thrown alcohol onto a healing wound, but they continued on. They had to.

With the war getting worse and no Alice in sight, Tarrant suggested something rather unusual. In all his memories, it showed Alice coming to them. What if, they went to find _her_?

They called him mad, but really that was more of a complement at this point. However with nothing else to do and hope dwindling fast, they decided to do just that.

The world above Underland was…loud. And smelly. And had far too many people stuffed into certain places. It seemed utterly impossible to find an Alice, let alone the _right_ Alice. They couldn’t just find anyone with the name and rush her off to Underland. It didn’t work like that.

So they searched and searched, navigating this strange new world for ages. They couldn’t go back without Alice. Tarrant couldn’t leave without finding her.

And then…it happened. He wasn’t ever looking for her when Alice crossed his path. She was…everything he expected and more. And then, there was him. Tarrant felt a pounding in his pulse the likes of which he’d never felt before. In all of his past lives, he can’t remember ever feeling so strongly about another person. About Alice.

One look at her, and he _knew_.

She was the only one who could save Underland. The only one who could end the bloody war between two queens, two _sisters_ who let their personal problems poison the land. Tarrant knew, without a doubt, he wasn’t going to take Alice back to Underland. He wasn’t going to throw her into a war she had nothing to do with.

In fact, he wasn’t going to let any of them go back.

They didn’t deserve to be forgotten once they fulfilled their purpose. They deserved _more_. All of them, all of the Role Holders, they deserved lives of their own. And Tarrant was going to give it to them.

They may call him mad, but really, he was the only one who made sense.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My favorite thing about the Mad T Party fandom was the creativity. There really was no cannon. Since it was based off of a band, the only thing really set in stone were the look of the characters and some of their personality traits that the performers added in. Other then that, it was pretty much a free for all, which led to some amazing things. Like this idea for example. 
> 
> I can't remember where I first saw the idea of Role Holders, but it was so interesting that it stuck in my brain for ages. And it totally makes sense too. I mean, how many different versions of Alice in Wonderland are there? The idea that these same characters, these same souls are being brought back over and over again when Wonderland is in need is genius. Kinda like Link in Legend of Zelda.
> 
> Anyways, yeah thats my random fandom from the past. I had fun writing these and i hope someone enjoys them. Mad T was a weirdly big part of my life lol. Thanks :D


	12. "Who could do this?" - FFXV

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ignis just want Noct to eat his vegetables.

“It’s not going to work, Iggy.” Gladio murmured. Behind them, Prompto was still pulling ridiculous poses while Noct snapped pictures with his camera. At least they were well distracted, but Gladio still had his doubts.

Next to him, Ignis was standing at the cooking station, quietly finishing up dinner.

“Have faith, Gladio.” The advisor spoke quietly. “I do believe we might have finally figured out a way to get his highness to eat his vegetables.”

Gladio looked down at the bowl in front of him. It looked like an ordinary serving of mash potatoes, but in reality it was cauliflower, pureed past the point of recognition. It tasted pretty damn good, but it sure as hell didn’t taste like the buttery mash potatoes they were all used too.

“Technically, potatoes are vegetables…” Gladio murmured.

Ignis glared at him from the corner of his eye. “And while it’s a very versatile vegetable, I’m afraid his highness needs to expand his pallet beyond one, singular vegetable. Especially since he usually prefers them fried.”

“I guess you got a point there.”

“I do. Now, would you be so kind as to fetch the plates?”

Gladio complied, glancing over at the two knuckleheads behind them. Prompto had slipped and fallen on his ass and Noct, being the kind respectable person they raised him to be, was laughing and taking pictures of the whole thing.

Basically, it was a typical night at the haven.

Gladio started at the cauliflower “mashed potatoes”, and grimace. They were…more watery? Or something. There was something about them that was just off.

“Yeah, Noct is going to figure this out right away.” Gladio sighed. “You’ll probably fool Prompto though. That kid’ll eat anything.”   

Ignis nodded. “At least we agree on one thing.”

As soon as the prince had his plate, he stared at the mash cauliflower.

“Is something wrong, Highness?” Ignis asked, his voice as controlled as ever.

Noct poked the suspect food with his fork. “Looks funny.” He mumbled.

“Looks fine to me.” Prompto declared. He scooped up a hearty portion and stuffed it in his mouth. Just like Gladio guess, Prompto didn’t seem to taste the difference.

Noct looked less sure.

Dinner went on as usual, with idle chatter and the crackling of the fire. The food was delicious, just like anything Ignis cooked, but it was clear that even Prompto was beginning to sense something was different about the mash potatoes. Every time he took a bite, his face scrunched up like he was thinking hard about something. It was actually pretty hilarious.

Noct didn’t touch the mash, much to Ignis’s dismay. The advisor kept a keen on eye on the prince throughout the whole meal, waiting for the moment he finally took a bite.   

All the sudden, Prompto jumped in his chair.

“These aren’t mash potatoes!”

“I knew it!” Noct exclaimed. He then very quickly dumped his mash into the fire like the dramatic little shit that he was.

Prompto brought his plate up to his face, sniffing the white mash. “This is…this is something _weird_. Ah, who could do this to mash potatoes?! Ignis, I can’t believe you!”

Ignis’s face finally cracked. “Damn.”

“Told ya it wouldn’t work.” Gladio chuckled.

“Oh shove off, Gladiolus.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I mean, this was probably meant to inspire some sort of drama or angst, but instead I did this. lol.


	13. "Try harder, next time."-RWBY

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yang and Mercury have a little "bonding time"????

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello friends and welcome to my crackship

Over the past few months, Yang had been working on her anger issues. She had never thought it was a problem before, but after hearing her dad’s lecture about how she used her semblance, Yang couldn’t really argue anymore. It was just facts.

The problem with having a semblance that relied on taking damage was that every damn time a hit got past her defense, it felt like a blow to her skills. Like she should have been better, faster, like she shouldn’t have been hit at all.

Couple that with the power surge she felt from activating her semblance and it was basically game over for her sense of control. All of Yang’s focus narrowed down the fight in front of her. The feel of her muscles moving, the sweat dripping down her brown.

 It was pretty easy to loose herself in it all. Become overwhelmed by the fight and the rage boiling in her gut. And well…Yang knew what could happen if she let herself get lost like that again. She was just thankful that her anger wasn’t a problem around her friends. It was only in the heat of battle where she lost control.

_However._

Mercury Black was about ten seconds away from ruining all of Yang’s hard work and getting himself punched in the face.

Why did she have to fall off the train? Why did he have to fall of too? It could have been anyone, hell Yang even would have preferred Cinder over this guy (then again, she wasn’t even sure where Cinder was. Raven wasn’t very clear on what happened in the vault).

It was stupidly cold and hard to see much. The pure white snow was practically glowing in the sunlight. Yang wished she had her sunglasses on her.

“You’re going the wrong way again, blondie.” Mercury’s annoying drawl traced up he back like an icicle.

“No I’m not.” Yang replied. “And even if I were, why bother telling me? Go get lost in the snow on your own.”

“I would, but I’m not about to be Grim food. I’ve got to keep you around so that you can distraction them while I get away.”

“So I’m just a distraction, huh?”

“Pretty much. Otherwise I would have left you long ago.”

Yang rolled her eyes. “Just admit it, you’re lost.”

Mercury scoffed. “So are you.”

“Well, at least I’m _trying_ to find my way to the train tracks. What are you doing besides getting on my nerves.”

Mercury chuckled. “Has anyone ever told you have anger issues?”

Well if that didn’t feel like a slap to the face. Yang’s fist started shaking. It wasn't too bad, but she needed a few deep breathes to get it under control again. When she finally felt better, she turned.

“Has any one every told you that you talk too much?”

“You’d be surprised, blondie. I haven’t talked this much to someone in ages.”

“Oh great, and I’m the lucky one who gets your attention.” She deadpanned.

Mercury shrugged. “Guess so.”

The conversation died after that, much to Yang’s relief. Mercury was just, weird. He wasn’t good weird. He wasn’t good at all. Yang just couldn’t see to figure out his goal in all of this. If anything, he just seemed like a lackey under Cinder and Salem’s thumb. Insignificant and replaceable. It didn’t make sense that he was so loyal to them when he didn’t seem to be getting anything out of it. Aside from getting beat by Team RWBY every once and while.

Walking was taking forever and the train tracks were still nowhere in sight. It was getting colder, as the sun slowly began to set and the evening chill began to float through the air. Worse of all, Yang’s arm started to feel weird.

He metal arm was like ice. Yang suddenly got the image of sticking your tongue to a pole in the winter. She wondered if she would get stuck if she tried it on her prosthetic.  

Weird and silly thoughts aside, the part of her arm that was in contact with the metal prosthetic was feeling just as cold. It was the type of cold that burned, that turned skin blue. This was something she didn’t think about when traveling to Atlas.

“You might want to take that off for a while.” Mercury sighed. “Things could get pretty nasty if you end up getting frostbite.”

He said it so casually, so calmly, that Yang immediately went on the defensive. “What, you think you have a better chance of taking me down if I only have one arm? If you’re trying to catch me of guard, you better try harder, next time.”

Mercury’s eye roll was something to behold. So much apathy in one gesture that Yang almost laughed. Almost.

“You really are a hot head, aren’t you?” he sighed. “I’m not trying to take you out, blondie. Believe it or not, I do realize the situation were in. I can’t just fight you in the middle of nowhere and then try to get back to civilization on my own. I’m not that dumb. We kind of need each other right now.”

Yang blinked. She…honestly didn’t think about it that way. Relaxing a little, Yang cleared her throat. “Oh I…I guess you have a point.”

“I know.”

“Ugh, you’re infuriating.” Yang sighed. Reaching up with her regular hand, Yang detached her arm. It wasn’t instant relief. The metal base on her arm was still extremely cold, but it was much, much better. She tied off the end of her sleeve with a hair tie to try and hold in some of her natural body heat.

“Your arm would probably get stiff from the cold anyway. Might be better not to rely on it if we end up cornered by Grim.” Mercury shrugged.

Yang’s eyes narrowed. “You…have a lot to say about this sort of thing. Don’t tell me you’ve got a metal prosthetic somewhere. If it’s the leg I broke, I’m shoving you into a snow drift.”

Mercury didn’t answer, a mischievous smile on his face.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wanna know why i like this ship? Because they are opposites in so many ways. He's silver, she's gold. He's cool and calm, she's a firecracker. He kicks, she punches. (And they have one major thing in common, ie their prosthetic limbs.) I'm a sucker for opposites attract tropes. Do i think they'll ever become cannon? No way in hell, bruh. But i do hope they get a rematch. I love both their fighting styles and their dual in season three was what dreams are made of. (Also any chance to see my girl Yang shine is a A+)


	14. "Some people call this wisdom"-Voltron

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Weird space family.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I skipped a day, but plan on coming back to it when my brain decides to work. Also i'm behind...whoops lol.

“Y’know, some people would call this wisdom. I’m just using the environment to our advantage.” Lance’s voice echoed off the canyon walls.

“I think the word you’re looking for is stupidity, Lance.” Pidge grumbled. She was probably the angriest out of the group, but that’s also because the boys had to fish her out of the weird, slimy lake by making a human chain. She was still trying to get goop out of her boot. 

“Hey!” Lance squawked.

“Both of you be quiet.” Keith hissed. “That thing could still be up there.”

All four young paladins looked up towards the top of the canyon. They were almost expecting that strange, tiger-like alien to peek over the edge.

Hunk was the first to break. “We’re gonna totally die down here, aren’t we?”

“We’re not going to die.” Keith replied. However, if he was trying for a comforting tone, it wasn’t working. The Red Paladin sounded as blunt as ever.

Lance slid up to Hunk’s side, leaning on the big guys arm. “Relax, Hunk. We’ll be totally fine. We lost that dumb alien cat thanks to my brilliant plan.”

“Jumping off a cliff into a weird, squishy river isn’t what I would call a brilliant plan.” Pidge deadpanned.

“Why are you like this? We didn’t raise you to be so pessimistic. And mean!”

“You didn’t raise me at all, you weirdo.”

Lance dramatically gasped. “Hunk do you hear this?! Do you hear the lies our daughter is saying?”

Hunk was grinning, but in mere seconds his expression flipped and he looked just as dramatic as Lance.

“Oh my heart is breaking. Pidge you’re breaking my heart!”

 Suddenly, Pidge was surrounded by both boys. “Wh-what’s happening?”

“Where did we go wrong, Hunk?” Lance lamented. “Maybe I shouldn’t have worked so late and been home more often.”

“I wish I would have cooked more meals at home instead of ordering take out every night!” Hunk sighed.

Lance snorted, breaking character for a moment. “Dude, that doesn’t event make sense. You would never order food for your fictional kid all the time. “

Hunk shrugged. “Yeah, I know. But I couldn’t think of anything else off the top of my head.”

“Fair enough. But now let’s get back bugging Pidge.”

“Ugh, you guys are like the weirdest space family ever.” Pidge groaned.

“Aww, so you do think were family! That deserves a hug, c’mere Pidgy!”

Pidge was squished between the Blue and Yellow Paladin, and even though she shouted and squirmed, her smile was brighter than ever.

 _Yeah…they are a family_ , Keith thought as he stood on the sidelines. He kept his back turned, not wanting to intrude on the other three. Keith would be lying if he said he wasn’t bothered by their closeness, but he also didn’t even try to approach them. It was…hard. Especially since Lance, Hunk and Pidge had known each other so well at the Garrison.

It’s just one more thing that normal to others and yet completely foreign to Keith.

It was fine.

It was okay.

He had Red, and Voltron. He had a purpose in this universe.

He also had Shiro, who was the brother Keith never thought he’d have. But, Shiro had his own stuff to deal with and sometimes, he liked to lecture Keith or have deep conversations. There wasn’t much time for relaxing or just goofing around with Shiro.

It wasn’t like that for the others. They always had time to laugh together, to have fun. Sometime they just _existed_ together. All sitting in the same room, doing their own thing and comfortable in the silence.

Keith couldn’t remember what that felt like. To have friends his own age.

Shaking his head, Keith pushed away those thoughts before he let them sink in. “Come on, guys. Let’s find a way out of here. We have to rendezvous with Shiro and Allura at the village.”

There was some squawking on Lance’s part and the sound of plating of their armor smacking together, but a few minutes later, the trio were ready to go.

As they began trekking along the river, Lance and Hunk paired off and began walking a little behind Keith and Pidge.

Pidge gently nudged him, her brown eyes peeking out from under her bangs.

“Y’know, you’re in the weird space family too.”

Keith blinked. “Uh, what?”

“I just…wanted to make sure you knew, is all.”

Keith felt a flicker in his chest, one that he didn’t quite know what to do with. He felt a smile tug on the corner of his lips. Keith bumped into Pidge just as gently and she did earlier.

“I know.”


	15. "I thought you had forgotten."-Voltron

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lance has been waiting four years for this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay my first Halloween(ish) themed drabble!
> 
> Aka Keith is a werewolf

It was the end of autumn when Lance made the trek to the park behind his childhood home. Winter was creeping into the air, eager spread its chill through the world. Lance pulled his hood up and wished that he thought to bring a scarf.  

His home hadn’t changed much in the time he’d been gone. It was a little messier and the paint seemed a little duller, but it was still a happy place that Lance treasured all throughout his life. It was weird to think that soon his family wouldn’t be living there anymore.

It wasn’t a bad thing really. Just life. His mom and dad lived pretty far out and it was a struggle traveling so much for every little thing. So they found a house closer to town. Still big enough to handle their brand of craziness, but now surrounded by other houses instead of the dense forest Lance grew up around.

It was going to be so weird having coming home to visit and driving through a neighborhood. It didn’t seem natural to Lance.

The park behind his house was actually far creepier then it sounded. There used to be dozens of houses in the area decades ago, and because of that, someone decided to build a park in the center of them. But, something happened to push people away. Something that made then sell their houses and move far away. The old park was abandoned, reclaimed by nature until it looked like something out of a post-apocalyptic horror movie.

The first time Lance went out there with his sister, he had nightmares for weeks. However, as young Lance soon learned, things aren’t always what they appear.

Lance had walked this path often enough to know it by heart. He didn’t even bring his phone to use as a flashlight.

Soon enough, the old playground came into view. The rusted monkey bars looked alien in the forest. There was a collapsed swing set, a tall slide and a jungle gym that had plenty of places to climb. Or at least, it used to.

Lance trekked through the brush, dried leaves crunching under his shoes. Usually, he would be worried about making so much noise in the middle of the forest, but Lance knew he was safe here. Just like he knew it wasn’t ghosts or demons that drove the people away all those years ago. Just an old superstition.

Lance sat on and old seesaw. It was so rusted that even if he sat on the side in the air, it still wouldn’t go down. He sat in the middle, looking up at the few stars he could see through the tree tops.

Now all he had to do was wait.

It had been years since they made that promise. The promise to meet again after Lance finished college and Keith…after he figured out what to do. Lance could still remember the day perfectly. He was only seventeen, still growing into his long limbs and trying to figure out if he made the right choice for college.

Keith on the other hand, was too damn handsome for it to be fair. They were the same age, or at least, Keith thought they were the same age. His past was still hazy in some places and Keith didn’t have anyone around for a long time to keep track of his age.

They felt the same age. Had growth spurts around the same time, listened to their voices change a few months apart. Of course being a werewolf, Keith had some other changes to get used too.

Like the painful transformations that ripped his body apart every month. His appetite for meat getting more and more demanding. His wolf traits appearing in his human form, making him look both otherworldly and terrifying.

Not to mention the Calling. The reason Keith had to venture off on his own in the first place.

Lance’s knee bounced up and down in an erratic rhythm. Did he get the day wrong? The time? Lance had set himself fifty reminders, but he was still paranoid.

It felt like hours had passed until something finally changed.

The sound was so soft, it could easily be mistaken for a breeze ruffling the trees. But Lance knew that sound. He knew he was no longer alone.

“I thought you’d forgotten.” A quiet voice called out. Lance felt his heart jump in his chest.

“Am I late?” he asked.

“N-no…no your fine. I just—never mind.”

Lance smiled. God, it great to hear Keith’s voice again. “Are you going to come over here? You know I can’t see as well as you do.”

A dark figure moved in the corner of Lance’s eye and he stood to greet him. The leaves ruffled ever so slightly and soon Lance’s eyes could focus on Keith’s face.

He look…good. Human. No longer like he was going feral.

The Calling had done a number on poor Keith, and for a while, it seemed as though Lance was going to lose him. But Keith…he seemed okay. Better then okay, he seemed good. Lance let out a breath he didn’t realize he’d been holding.

Keith still had a few odd traits. Like strange violet eyes and incisors that were a little more pointed than most. But there was something different about him. Something that made Lance pause.

“What happened here?” Lance trailed a finger along Keith’s cheek. A wide pink scar trailed from his cheekbone to his jaw. It must have hurt like hell.

Keith tensed, his eyes getting big and round. Lance dropped his hand, afraid that he had crossed some line. They hadn’t seen each other in four years, and Lance was already making things weird. Awesome.

“It…it’s from the Galra. They didn’t really like it when I refused joining their pack.”

Lance frowned. “What a bunch of pricks. I mean, I don’t understand werewolf politics at all, but isn’t cutting up your face a little over the top?”

Keith let out a breathy laugh. “It’s actually pretty standard. Not the face part, but the fighting part. I’m lucky I got away with just this. I’ve heard of others who’ve died.”

Lance felt a shiver run down his spine. It was hard to believe how brutal wolf packs like the Galra could be. But Keith made it out. He made his choice and overcame the Calling.

Because that’s really all the Calling is. A choice.

It’s a time in life where a young werewolf has to choose which part of themselves they’re going to become. Are they going to give into their wolf side and live like feral creatures in the wild? Or are they going to fight for their human side and only suffer transformations once a month on the full moon?

At first, Lance thought the choice was obvious. Be human. But that came with costs. He remembered Keith telling him how weird it felt, almost suffocating, to live purely as a human. Your senses were stronger than an average human, and your strength is incredible as well. It’s hard to keep yourself contained when you know you can do so much more.

And the transformations were absolute hell. It only happened once a month, but even that seemed like too much.

Indulging in the wolf side had its advantages. It was a freeing experience to finally let go and live life without restrictions. You’d look more animalistic. With claw like nails and noticeable fangs. More muscle and bulk would also build up on your body, making you look almost like a comic book character. Apparently, there were some werewolves that even got pointed ears and yellow eyes.

Keith had started becoming more feral. He’d watch Lance with unblinking eyes, still as a statue. He’d spend longer nights in the woods by himself and miss days when they were supposed to hang out together.

He’d go hunting, without nothing but his own hands and eat his prey long before he dragged it his home to cook. Lance saw him take a deer down once. A full grown buck.

It was…terrifying, if Lance was being honest. And after mustering up the courage, he told Keith just that. That’s when Keith explained the Calling, the urge inside him to make a choice and decide who he was going to be.

It was a bit like choosing what to do after high school. A decision that you would carry with you the rest of your life. Lance knew that Keith’s choice was much different and much scarier, but hey, it was all he had to compare it too.

Lance sat back down on the rusted seesaw and cleared off a place for Keith to sit too. For a while, there was not a sound except for the quiet forest around them.

Eventually, Lance had to ask.

“So, you made your choice?”

Keith nodded. “Yeah.”

“You choose human.”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

Keith hesitated. “I…I know what I said back then. And part of its still true. I wanted to find my mother, I wanted to belong in her world and…I found her.”

“Y-you did? Keith that’s—that’s amazing!” Lance grinned. “You must have been so happy.”

“I was, I still am. She’s pretty cool, and the Marmora Pack was pretty great too.”

“Then why didn’t you stay with them? Why didn’t you…y’know.”

Keith sighed, a long and draw out sound. He looked back up at the stars and quietly continued talking. “They were…all the packs, they were always fighting. Trespassing on each other’s territory, stealing their supplies, it’s like a whole other world out there, Lance.”

“Can’t they just get along? Is nobody allies?”

“Even if theirs ally packs, they still find ways to push each other. It’s like, their kids constantly fighting over the same toy.”

“I just don’t get it. What’s the point?”

Keith shrugged. “Don’t know. There’s just this urge to…to fight. To face the toughest challenge and win. It was like, like constantly in my head. Move, hunt, win. The Galra were the worst though. They like to round up young werewolves like me during their Calling and get them to join their pack. Its kind of crazy.”

“Dude, this sounds like the plot of an Underworld movie.” Lance said.

“Kind of, if I’m being honest. But no vampires.” Keith sobered a bit after that, his shoe scuffing the dirt below them. “It felt good being so free for the first time in my life, but it also felt…lonely. Like I was missing something. Missing…y-you.”

Lance wished there was more light just so that he could see the blush on Keith’s face. Lance’s own cheeks felt hot enough to fry an egg but he didn’t care. He’d waited for years for this.

Lance turned to look forward, not wanting to make Keith uncomfortable. He confidently reached out and grabbed Keith’s hand with his own. The other boy jumped, but seconds late, Keith turned his hand so that he could intertwine their fingers.

It took a long time to get here, but Lance couldn’t be happier that everything turned out the way it did. And judging by the way Keith scooted over and curled onto Lance’s side, he was happy how things turned out too.

"Oh! I almost forgot to tell you!" Lance exclaimed. "I'm moving!"

Keith blinked. "Moving? Wait where are you going?"

"Well, my parents are getting a house near the city, but I'm not sure where I'm going to be."

"Oh...well, when you find out, maybe I could visit you? Kind of sucks that you won't be just a walk to you anymore."

Lance grinned. "Well...to remedy that, I might have a crazy idea." 

"Just spit it out, Lance." 

"Wow your impatient. Also, move in with me." 

Lance couldn't help but laugh at the dumbstruck look on his boyfriends face.  


	16. "This is gonna be so much fun!"-FFXV

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prom and Noct are nerds.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> eh, sorry this is shorter then the rest. feeling a little less inspired then usual. oh well, hopefully i'll do something better tomorrow.

“C’mon you guys, this is gonna be so much fun!” Prompto nearly tripped hopping out of the car. He did however bang the car door on his hip, but that didn’t seem to deter him one bit.

“Remind me again why we’re here?” Gladio sighed.

“We are here because I said so.” Noct said calmly. Well, almost calmly. The prince was just as excited as Prompto, but didn’t quiet show it as much. Still there was a childlike gleam in his eye as he took in the different sights and sounds of Lestallum.

The Assassins Festival was in full swing.

“Noct, look! You can do a leap of faith!” Prompto gushed.

“Oh hell yeah, sign me up.” The prince grinned.

Ignis swiftly grabbed the back of Noct jacket and pulled him back. “You will do no such thing.”

“Aw c’mon, Iggy. Noct had fallen from way higher heights then that.” Prompto pointed out. “Remember when he tried to warp to the griffin and missed?”

“I do remember. I also remember the elixir we had to give him after he landed.”

“Oh yeah…right.”

Noct rolled his eyes. He was totally going to pull off a leap of faith during the festival. He just had to find something to distract his overprotective advisor.  And the first way to do that, was lead the culinary nerd to the food.

Noct and Prompto were in awe of the festival. All of Lestallum hand been transformed. There were festival booths all throughout the main street with games to play and items to buy. There was a vendor selling costumes from every game in the Assassins Creed series. There were street performers and musicians, storytellers and dancing groups. There was even a dog dress in a little assassins costume with a hood and everything.

It took all of three minutes for Noct to completely forget his plan to distract Ignis. The leap of faith was forgotten in favor of trying on assassins’ robes.


	17. "I'll tell you, but you're not going to like it."-BNHA

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kirishima is taking Bakugou on a surprise trip.

“Where the hell are you taking me, shitty hair?” Bakugou grunted. If felt like they had been walking for hours.

“It’s a surprise.” Kirishima answered, sounding just as chipper and usual. Bakugou didn’t know how the other guy did it. He was always so…cheerful. Kirishima was the kind of guy who was always ready to lend a hand and smile all the while doing it. It was so weird.

Weirder still that Kirishima liked to spend his free time with someone like Bakugou.

The explosive hero was self-aware enough to know he rubbed people the wrong way. Well, that might be putting it lightly. Bakugou was pretty much like sand paper against everyone else’s silk. A disaster just waiting to happen. Kirishima seemed to be the only one who was made out of something tougher. Something that could withstand Bakugou’s harsh exterior.

That or the damn red head was slowly wearing him down, making Bakugou less rough around the edges. That was annoying to think about.

Kirishima had led him pretty far out. They rode a bus for a full thirty minutes and then started walking. It’s been another twenty minutes before Bakugou finally said something.

“Seriously, did you bring me out here for sightseeing? Where are we going?” he huffed.

Kirishima glanced at him from the corner of his eye. “Well…I’ll tell you, but you’re not gonna like it.”

Well if that was some stupid, cryptic bullshit. “I already don’t like it. Tell me, shitty hair.”

“Aw, can’t you just was like, five more minutes? We’re almost there!”

“I’m walking for exactly five more minutes and if we aren’t there by then, I’m leaving.”

“…Your totally serious aren’t you?” Kirishima blinked.

Bakugou glared. He trusted Kirishima more than anyone in their class, probably more than he ever had. But Bakugou didn’t like going into a situation blindly. Even if it was just supposed to be a fun day off from classes. Too much had happened.

“O-kay, yeah, totally serious. Well…I guess I could tell you…I don’t really want you to leave,” Kirishima rubbed the back of his head. Bakugou secretly liked when he did that. He wasn’t ever sure why, it just…it made Kirishima even more likable in a way.

“Spit it out, Kirishima.”

The red head grinned. “We’re going to a paint ball arena!”

Bakugou blinked. He’d never gone paintballing before. But it sounded…fucking _awesome_. He was going to destroy whatever weakling was unlucky enough to challenge them. Hopefully their opponents would last long enough to make the fight interesting.

“Hell yeah. We’re going to destroy anyone who gets in our way.” Bakugou grinned, his hands already itching to get started. He wondered if quirks were allowed. Probably not, but he didn’t need his quirk to win.  

Kirishima breathed a sigh of relief. “Ah I’m glad you’re excited! I didn’t know if you’d be down for this kind of thing.”

“That’s stupid. It’s a place I can shoot people and win, of course I’d want to go.”

“Heh, yeah I guess you right. It’s just, well I came here once in middle school and it was super fun! I just didn’t know if you would like it and it was my turn to pick something and just—ow!” Bakugou cuffed Kirishima on the back of his head, not even breaking his stride as he kept walking. “Dude! What was that for?”

“I told you to stop doing that, dumbass.” Bakugou grunted. He absolutely hated when Kirishima got like this. When he’d overthink every little detail of their relationship and convince himself that he was doing something wrong. Kirishima was much more self-deprecating then any of their classmates knew, then even Bakugou knew when they first became friends. His confidence had grown leaps and bounds over the past few years, but thoughts like that never really went away. They were always there, camping out in the back out your mind and whispering in your ear every time you made a move. You had to learn how to deal with them, and ignore them. Bakugou was still trying to help Kirishima do just that. In his own, _interesting_ way.

“Still, you didn’t have to hit me so _hard_.” Kirishima whined.

“I have to get through your thick head somehow. I know words won’t always do it.”

Kirishima sighed, but he seemed to understand the depth of what Bakugou was trying to say. He nudged Bakugou’s shoulder and smiled. “Thanks, Katsuki. But there it one other thing about today that I know you’re not going to like.”

Bakugou frowned. “And that is…?”

“Well I kind of invited someone else. A lot of someone else’s, actually.”

“Eijirou, if that damn nerd Deku is here, I swear—“

“Well you’re not wrong… but Iida, Ashido, and Uruaka will he there too!” Kirishima jumped in front of a fuming Bakugou and waved his arms up and down. “Hey! Look at it this way, you can shoot Midorya with a paint ball gun all you like and you won’t get in trouble. That’s good, right?”

Bakugou considered this for a while and then grinned viciously. “That nerd is going down.”


	18. "You should have seen it."-FFXV

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompto needs a little encouragement.

“I’m telling you Noct, you should have seen it! The sunlight hit the water just right and I swear, it looked like the whole lake was on fire. I got some great shots.” Prompto’s phone was propped up with his shoulder so that his hands were free to scroll through the shots on his camera. The colors on his screen were so vibrant, he couldn’t wait to see what they’d look like printed.

“Sounds great, Prompto. I wish I could have gone with you.” Noct’s voice crackled on the other end of the phone. He was all the way in Tenebrae on some important political meeting with his father and the rest of the council. From the sound of it, it was pretty boring.

“Well maybe we can make a trip out of it when you get back.” Prompto cheerfully suggested.

“Yeah, after a sleep for a solid week. Ignis has got me on a stupidly tight schedule. He’s been waking me up at six.”

“Oo, that’s rough buddy. Good luck with that.”

Of course, Ignis and Gladio had gone with the prince. It didn’t make sense that they wouldn’t. It was in times like this where Prompto realized that he sort of needed friends outside of the royal retinue just to chase off the loneliness when they were gone.

It had only been a few days but they felt empty and long. Aside from his daily runs and going to work, he didn’t really do much. His trip to the lake was pre-planned, way before Noct realized that he was going to be out of town. It was a good distraction for a day, and the shots he got were amazing, but going back home to his little apartment alone had kind of killed the mood.

“So, are you going to show your stuff to your boss?” Noct asked. Prompto grumbled and shut off his camera.

“Maybe…”

“It’s a yes or no answer, Prom.” Noctis teased. They’d had this conversation enough times for Prompto to have it memorized.

“I just—I want to show her something great, y’know? She owns one of the best galleries in the city and…I don’t want waste her time.”

“Prompto,” Noct’s voice was softer, almost like he was sitting right next to Prompto instead of a whole continent away. “I mean, I’m glad you got a job in a place you like, but do you really want to just work in a gallery? Of have your stuff hanging up in one? You know you’re really good, right?”

Prompto huffed noncommittally.

“Take the compliment, weirdo, or I’ll make Gladio sit on you until you do.”

“Wh-what? Dude he would crush me!”

“The take the damn compliment and save yourself from becoming a pancake.”

Prompto squirmed in his seat. It really shouldn’t be so hard owning up to the fact that he was a decent photographer. It just…still felt strange. He was at the point in his life where his hobby that made high school more fun was turning out to be his passion in life. When it was just for fun, he boasted about his skills all the time. But now that he wanted to make a living out of it well…it just felt wrong to call himself great when he was still such a novice.

Prompto glanced at his camera screen again. The lake looked downright magical. The water glimmering like diamonds and the sunrise looking like Bahamut himself was going to burst from the horizon. It was a pretty good shot.

No, it was a damn good shot.

“You know, threatening me with getting crushed by Gladio better not be a common thing.”

Noct laughed. “But it worked, didn’t it?”

“Yeah…I might have worked a little bit.” Prompto couldn’t wipe the smile off his face.

“Now, are you going to show it to your boss?”

“Yep. But I got to get a few things printed first. Oo, and I guess I should finally put that portfolio that Ignis got me together.”

“You better not be stalling.”

“What, me? Have more faith in me Noct. If I’m going to show my stuff to my boss, I got to make sure I impress her. After all, if I want to do this for real, I’ve got to get serious.”

Prompto could picture Noct’s smile perfectly. In fact, he was pretty sure he had over a hundred pictures of that same smile on a memory card somewhere. It wasn’t a look the prince revealed to the public, but instead it was something more private. More personal. More… _loving_.  

Prompto still didn’t know how he could get so lucky in life to have something as wonderful as love.

Noctis chuckled lightly, the sound hovering around Prompto’s ear like the prince was actually sitting by his side.

“You’re going to be great, Prom. I can feel it.”


	19. "Oh please, like this is the worst I have done."-Voltron

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lance is trudging back home after a night out.

Lance knew what he was getting into when he answered the phone last night. He knew that in the span of a few hours, he’d be standing in this exact position while the morning sun shined in his eyes. Lance had every opportunity to get out, to abandon ship, to leave with what little dignity he had left.

But he didn’t. He met up with his ex at a bar, went home with her, and then was scooted out the front door mere minutes after he woke up. But that’s what happens when you answer a booty call.

Pidge was going to laugh her ass off.

Speak of the gremlin, Lance’s phone began buzzing in his hand. With one last glance at the apartment he was just shooed out of, Lance swiped the screen.

“Heya, Pidge. I’m surprised you’re up this early.”

“That’s because I never went to sleep. So I’m guessing since you answered, she already kicked you out?” Pidge was not allowed to be this intuitive.

“She didn’t kick me out. She just…made it very clear that our wonderful night together was over.”

“Uh huh, because I totally believe that.”

“Okay, so she basically held the door open for me when I got out of the bathroom, but to be fair, it was just a booty call.”

Pidge groaned. “I can’t believe you sometimes. And now you’re on the walk of shame parade with the rest of the poor souls who thought it was a good idea to go out on a Friday night.”

“Oh please, like this is worst I’ve done.” Lance scoffed.

“You’re right, the worst thing you ever did dating wise was with the guy in college—“

“Pidge! We don’t bring that up, ever!”

“You failed you midterms because you were too busy helping him with his physics class to study. Also I’m never going to stop brining that up because you continuously make horrible decisions when it comes to romance.”

As much as he wanted to argue, Pidge had a point. He was pretty terrible at making these kinds of decisions. “I’m going to die alone, aren’t I?” he sighed.

“You’ll have us, dumb -dumb.” Pidge answered.

“Yeah, but I’m going to end up a spinster! I’ll be the Miss Havisham of this century.”

“Dude, you can’t afford to be Miss Havisham. You got be rich to be crazy.”

“Dammit, your right.”

They continued to talk for a while, playfully bickering like any friend would do. Talking to Pidge made his walk of shame feel a little less depressing. His little friend had a knack for distracting him when he was down.

Lance could spot a few other people staggering home after a night out. There were quite a few girls in pretty, sparkly dresses trudging down the street with their heels in their hands. A few guys with loose ties and crumpled shirts were in the mix too. Living in a city, this was just a normal part of the morning. When all the creatures of the night made their way back home.

“Alright, Pidgy, I’m just about to the bus stop. I think I’m going to stop for a bagel before I get home. Want anything?”

“Yes please. I’ll text you my order.”

“Cool, I’m gonna…gonna…”

The world had suddenly slowed down. The sounds of the city morning faded away, becoming mute and distant. The only sound that Lance could hear was the steady beating of his heart as it slowly sped up the more he stared. The world became a blur, his attention focused so clearly on the person standing at the bus stop. That person…that guy…

“…holy _shit_ that is the most beautiful man I have ever seen…”

“Um, what?” Pidge’s voice spurred the world back into motion. Lance suddenly became very aware that he had stopped in the middle of the sidewalk just across the street from his bus stop. “Lance, are you okay? You’re breathing kind of funny.”

“Y-yeah! Yeah I’m cool, totally cool…I’m like ice I’m so cool. Um. What were we talking about?”

“Well you just zoned out and called a guy beautiful. Which actually isn’t that surprising, now that I’m thinking about it.”

Lance didn’t want to stare, but his attention kept drifting back to young man standing at the bus stop. Was it legal to be so distractingly good looking? Seriously, Lance was surprised there wasn’t a ten car pileup down the road from distracted drivers trying to catch a glimpse of this wonderful specimen of human.

“LANCE.”

“Holy—shit Pidge you didn’t have to yell in my ear!”

“You weren’t answering!” She shouted back. “Look, just go talk to the guy already. But don’t take too long. I want that bagel.”

“Y-yeah, sure.”

“…Lance?”

“What?”

Pidge hesitated. “Are you…nervous?”

“N-no.”

“Whoa…you are! Wait, you never get nervous flirting with someone.”

Lance felt like his face was on fire. “I’m not flirting with anyone Pidge.”

“But you’re thinking about it. You want to talk to Mr. Mystery Boy but you’re nervous! This has never happened before. I need to text Matt.”

“I’m hanging up now.”

“GO GET YOUR MAN—“

It was in that moment, that Lance wished he still had a flip phone. It was so much more satisfying hanging up on someone by shutting one of those bad boys instead of just angrily pressing a button. However he still felt a little bit of vindictive pleasure hang up on Pidge, but sadly not enough.

Now it was time to make his move.

Lance impatiently waited for the light to change and hurriedly crossed the street. He took a moment to slow down and oh so casually strode up to the bus stop where the beautiful stranger stood. He looked tired, with his eyes half lidded and leaning heavily on the sign post. But…hot damn, Lance’s first impression was right on the money. This guy was otherworldly.

“Long night?” Lance asked. His tone was the perfect amount of casual and cool.

The stranger stifled a yawn. “Yep.”

“Cool. Uh, me too.”

No reply. Lance looked around, trying to find something else to say. Across the street, he noticed a group of girls, all in their party wear from last night, linking arms and chatting about their nights.

“So walk of shame or early riser?” Lance blurted.

The young man next to him actually seemed to choke on his breath. The he turned and looked Lance with the most stunning and unusual eyes Lance had ever seen.

“W-what?”

Lance swallowed. “Uh, are you stumbling home after a night out or just like the fresh morning air?”

Lance knew it was suicide continuing this line of questioning, but he already dug his grave by spitting out the first thing that came to his mind. Might as well just accept it and forever be immortalized in this guy’s memory as the creepy dude who talked to him at a bus stop.

“Neither?” the guy answered. “I’m uh, just getting off of work.”

“What really? Dude who works until this early in the morning?”

“Lots of people? Haven’t you heard of 24hour diners?”

“Huh, guess you’re right.” Lance waited a few moments, wondering if he should continue. Ah, fuck it. “So is that what you do? Work in a diner?”

“Hell no. No I host the night show at a radio station.”

“Wait really? That’s so cool!”

Mystery Man cracked a smile and Lance nearly swooned. “Yeah, I guess it’s pretty cool. It’s a little creepy though. I have the whole building to myself.”

“Dude…that sounds awesome! Ah, I love to listen to you sometime. But to be honest, I’m not much of a night owl. I’d probably fall asleep like, two minutes in.”

“You more of a morning person? Or, what was the other option? Something shame?”

Lance groaned. “Ugh, don’t make me repeat it.”

The young man laughed sending a shutter down Lance’s spin. Then something unbelievable happened.

“So, do you want to get breakfast?” Mystery Man asked. “That is, if you’re free or whatever...”

“I am so free. And single. And so hungry and ready for breakfast and holy shit I’m making this weird, aren’t I?”

“A little, but in a weirdly okay way.”

“I’ll take it. I’m Lance.”

“Keith.”


	20. "I hope you have a speech prepared."-Voltron

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shiro deals with a lot as an older brother.

“SHIRO. WE HAVE AN EMERGENCY.” The front door slammed open, effectively waking Shiro from his nap.

“Wastha—”

“SHIRO. RED ALERT. PANIC. SHIRO HELP ME.” Keith’s face was nearly as red as a tomato. The teen practically jumped on the couch, and by extension, Shiro himself. “Shiro! I need your help!”

“Keith—your going to have to get up because I can’t breathe.”

Keith scrambled off the couch. He still had his backpack on.

Shiro rubbed his face, still halfway convinced that this was a dream. “Okay so, what happened kiddo?”

“I…I um,” Keith took a shaking breath. Looking at him now, Keith seemed pretty distressed. Shiro felt his protective instincts flip into overdrive.

“Keith, what’s wrong? Did something happen at school? Did you get into a fight? Are you bleeding? Keith—”

“Jesus Shiro, calm down. No, I’m not bleeding.”

“Bruised?”

“What? No! I didn’t get into a fight. That hasn’t happened in years.”

Shiro visibly relaxed. “Good. Wait, so what wrong?”

Keith fidgeted where he stood. His hands couldn’t seem to stay still. They went from his pockets to his hair and the to fiddle with the straps of his backpack.

“…Keith?” Shiro prodded gently.

“Okay, so, you know what we talked about last week? About, um… _prom_?”

“Yes…?”

Keith looked at Shiro, his eyes hard. It was like he was trying to tell Shiro someth—OH. Shiro grinned.

“You did it? You asked him?! Keith, that’s great!”

“No it’s not.” The teen collapsed on the couch his head in his hand.

Keith had been harboring a crush on his school friend Lance since the two were in elementary school. It was possibly the most adorable thing Shiro had ever seen. Keith would share his snacks with Lance, save him the best swing on the playground, even make a handful of valentines for the other little boy. Keith didn’t actually realize it was crush until the two of them hit middle school.

Shiro hadn’t been around for that part of the story. Instead he was off at college, checking in with Keith every week via phone calls and Skype. Shiro was sure he missed a big part of the story, because when he came back home for the holidays, Keith and Lance weren’t even talking anymore.

Things between the two seemed okay now they were juniors in high school, sharing quite a few classes and even hanging out in the same friend group. The cute, innocent infatuation Keith had as a kid blew up into a full-blown crush and most days, the poor boy didn’t know what to do around Lance.

Shiro had spent many a late night trying to convince Keith to do something about his feelings. Lance was a good kid and even if he didn’t feel the same, he wasn’t the type of person to throw Keith’s feelings in the mud. He would be kind, tell Keith that they could still be friends, and things would be okay. Shiro was sure of it.

Of course, Shiro was also pretty sure that Lance would go on a date with Keith. He’d caught the tall teen staring at his little brother a little more then others. Lance my not be suffering through a crush as intense as poor Keith’s, but there was something there.

Maybe something more then either of them realized.

All of this leads to the fact that last week, Shiro managed to convince Keith to ask Lance to prom. And apparently, that plan was put into motion today to less than stellar results.

Shiro sat next to his brother, trying to figure out how to approach the sullen teen.

“Why don’t you tell me what happened? I’m sure it’s not as bad as you think.”

Keith gave him such a dry look, Shiro was actually impressed. After rolling his eyes, Keith started his story.

“Okay so, I asked Lance to prom today—”

“I hope you had a speech prepared.” Shiro fully accepted Keith punching him in the arm.

“Look, there’s no way I’d be able to actually _ask_ him that just…I just can’t. So I wrote him a note. And I said…I said how much I liked him and that I’d been trying to figure out for a while how to tell him. And then…then I asked, I _wrote_ , ‘will you go to prom with me’. And then I slipped it in his locker.”

Shiro was smiling. “So far this is all sounding good to me. Why did you say it was an emergency?”

Keith grabbed a couch cushion and hugged it close to his chest. “I…I forgot to sign the note…”

“You what?”

“I forgot to sign the note! Shiro what am I going to do? He probably found it already and he probably threw it away because I didn’t sign it! I can’t write it again.”

“Whoa, why not?”

“B-because, it just _can’t_ Shiro. I blew my one shot…”

Shiro sighed. He didn’t want to sound frustrated, since Keith was very clearly distraught, but this was honestly a very easy problem to fix.

“Keith…I know it took guts to admit your crush, and I’m proud you did what you set out to do, but just because you forgot to sign your name doesn’t mean it’s the end of the world. We can fix this.”

Keith hesitated. “But…what if—” he suddenly jumped as his phone went off in his pocket.

The two brothers stared at each other for a moment before Keith grabbed his phone. Shiro couldn’t see the screen, but whatever was on it caused Keith to make the most hilarious squeaking noise Shiro had ever heard. The teen was redder then ever, almost alarmingly so.

“Sh-Shiro…” Keith shoved his phone in Shiro’s face.

It took a second for Shiro to read the message on his brothers’ phone. And it took a little while longer for him to realize who the message was from.

 _(_ _・_ _ω_ _ｰ)_ _～_ _☆:_ _I’d recognize_ _that penmanship anywhere._

 _(_ _・_ _ω_ _ｰ_ _)_ _～_ _☆_ _::Good thing too, since you forgot to sign your note._

 _(_ _・_ _ω_ _ｰ_ _)_ _～_ _☆_ _::And my answer is yes. I’d love to go to prom with you._

“Aw Keith look! It all worked out…Keith? Where are you going. Keith, you have to text him back! DON’T GO OUT THAT DOOR! Unbelievable.”


	21. "Impressive, truly."

umm... so i couldn't think of anything. Maaaybe i'll come back to this prompt, but probably not. Whoops lol.


	22. "I know how you love to play games."-FFXV

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Episode Prompto

“I would run faster if I were you. Those MT’s are going to catch you.” Ardyn’s voice echoed down the narrow corridor. An ever present sound chasing him just as much as the mutilated MT’s behind him.

Prompto ran as fast as he could, but he’d been running for hours. His legs felt like they were moving through molasses and his lungs burned with every wheezing breath.

He thought everything was going to be okay. He got out of that terrible facility, he faced that monster of a man, Verstael Besithia and won. Everything was supposed to be okay. He faced his daemons, accepted his past…it was supposed to be…

Prompto felt something latch on to his arm. He yelped as it pulled him back, hard, his body flying back and crashing into the ground. All the breath in his body whooshed out in one painful breath. Tears pooled in the corner of his eyes. Above him, glowing red eyes glared down at him.

The metal face was cracked. A thick black liquid seeped from the fissure and slowly dripped down its face. Prompto squirmed, his mind wondering what would happen if the black liquid dripped onto his skin. Would it burn? Would it seep into his skin? Prompto was afraid to find out.

The metal hand around his arm tightened, pulling him up until his toes scrapped the floor. His shoulder felt like it was going to pop out of its socket.

“Oh dear, looks like you’ve been caught.” Ardyn’s voice was clearer this time. There was no buzz from the intercom anymore. “And here I thought you’d found some courage out in that blizzard. I guess I overestimated you.”

Ardyn strolled up being the MT. His sunken eyes never look more menacing and the grin on his face was something a predator would wear. Prompto tried to glare at the mad man, but the MT deiced to squeeze his arm even tighter, making the young man wince.

“Y-you…what do you want with me?” Prompto gasped.

“Isn’t is obvious? You’re here as bait.”

Prompto flinched. Shit…he was worried about that. “Whatever you have planned, Noct is going to beat you.”

Ardyn chuckled, a loose strand of maroon hair falling in his eyes. Prompto had never noticed before, but the color almost looked like blood.

“Oh you poor, naïve child. Your faith in your friend is almost sad. You’re loyal to a fault, aren’t you?”

Prompto grit his teeth.

“Well, I suppose there’s no sense in waiting. Your beloved prince and his remaining retinue should be here soon. We have to make sure you’re in your proper place.” Ardyn pat Prompto on the cheek and casually walked on by. He motioned for the MT to follow.

Prompto didn’t like Ardyn’s tone at all. There was something else brewing in that guys mind. Some big, overarching plan that none of them could imagine. How else could things have gone so wrong? How else could Ardyn have turned up at every important leg of their journey and changed everything?

Ardyn was lead them, leading Noctis. But why? What could possibly be his goal? Prompto didn’t want to find out.

Before the MT moved, Prompto swung himself up, hooking his left leg over the MT’s arm. He kicked it’s face hard, his heavy boots cracking the monsters face ever more. Sparks flew from the MT and with another hard kick, Prompto felt the MT’s head shift back.

The machine collapse, black smoke and sparks shuttering down its frame. Prompto’s captured arm twisted uncomfortably, but thankfully the tight grips of the metal hand disappeared moments later. The gunman wasted no time and bolted down the hall.

Prompto ran like he’d never run before. His mind completely bypassed all the hurt in his body, the burning in his lungs. All that mattered was getting out. Escaping. Getting to Noctis.

The twisting halls lead him to a large hanger. Giant Magitek mechs lined the walls along with crates of weapons and supplies. Prompto’s eye scanned the room, hoping to find something to defend himself with.

“You certainly are full of surprises.” Ardyn’s voice called out. Prompto ducked behind the nearest crate and covered his mouth to not make a sound. He closed his eyes, willing his erratic heart to slow down.

“Playing hide and seek are we? I know how you love to play games. However, I’m afraid we don’t have time for that.”

A row of blank Magitek Troopers suddenly flickered to life.

Prompto slowly shuffled away from the MT’s. They were still a fair distance away and with any luck, they didn’t notice his blonde tuff of hair peeking out for a second. The heavy, metallic steps lumbering toward him dashed that hope.

Prompto dashed out of his hiding spot and towards the nearest door. The troopers were on him in seconds.

“No!” Prompto screamed as one of the Troopers tackled him to the ground. He thrashed and kicked with all his might, trying to get away from the monstrous machine.

But then another set of hands were on him. Another. And another.

He could barely breath surrounded by all the metal and heat. His stomach twisted in fear as he was dragged back into the keep. Back into the twisting halls with the broken and deformed MT’s sprawled on the ground. Back to Ardyn, forced to be a puppet in whatever sick game the man was playing.

Prompto fought and struggled, his voice cracking the more he screamed.

“Oh you poor boy,” Ardyn tutted. “Here, I have just the thing to make you more comfortable.”

Prompto was pulled to his feet just in time to see the metal clasps jerk open. It didn’t take him long to figure out just what that y-shaped frame was for.


	23. "This is not new, it only feels like it."-BOTW

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Link and Zelda reminisce.

The world had changed so much.

Link still couldn’t clearly remember his past, but he could feel how different things were. It was like the wind at his back was heavier. Weight down with the darkness that had taken over the land after he fell.

But now, a new change was coming and Link could finally breathe a sigh of relief.

Hyrule had been saved, and the champions finally put to rest at last. Zelda was finally able to return to her kingdom and rule the land like she was always meant to. And Link…he was content.

Sometimes.

The hero sat at the cusp of a hill. His back resting on a smooth boulder and his hands fiddling with a long strand of grass. Hyrule Castle looked magnificent in the morning light, even better now that Ganon’s dark aura was no long surrounding it.

It would take years to repair the castle back to its former glory. However, the people of the land seemed more than willing to take on that challenge even though Zelda insisted against it. She was thankful that her people wanted to repair the castle, but thought it was a bit of an overwhelming project to take on. Her subjects protested.

The plans to repair the castle had been drawn and sketched, ready to begin when the princess gave the word. First things first, they needed to visit the Gorons to discuss the demolition of certain parts of the castle along with gathering the stones necessary.

This is where Link found himself on this cool morning. Escorting the princess while she journeyed to meet the Gorons.

Link had been to Death Mountain plenty of times in the past. The road he and the princess followed was a familiar one. Traveling with the princess made this journey feel entirely foreign.

Link sort of remembered her. It was more like snippets of their first journey together, back when he protected Zelda while she traveled to the ancient springs. He remembers her being a little more…how should he say…annoyed at him? Maybe even a little angry?

But then, one of the more recent memories of her, she had been kind and sweet. Stressed, but only because of the incredible burden that was placed on her shoulders.

Link wasn’t sure what changed between then, or when. His memory was still filled with holes. All he knew was that something happened between him and the princess. Something that led to them becoming friends.

“Well, I see you haven’t changed at all. Still up with the sun, I see.” Zelda’s sleepy voice crept up behind him. The princess was in the midst of brushing out his long blond hair. It tumbled onto her shoulders elegantly, like it was floating through water.

Not knowing what to say, Link simply nodded. He motioned down to the collection of fruit he’d been nibbling on for breakfast. Zelda said a quiet thank you and sat next to the food.

It was silent for a long time. Long enough for the morning chill to be chased away by the sun. Link munched on an apple while going over their route in his head. If they hurried and pushed the horses a bit, they may be able to make it to the stable before sundown.

“Link, could I ask you something?” Zelda’s head was tilted in his direction. Her eyes were wide and curious. That’s something he remembered clearly.

Link nodded for the princess to continue.

“I know I asked you this before, but I just wanted…well I wanted to ask again.”

Zelda shifted, her shoulders more tense then before.

“Do…do you remember me?”

Link wanted to say yes. The word was forming on his lips, ready to be spoken. But something stopped him. Something deep that had been nagging him for a while.  

Link bowed his head, focusing on the ground. “Not as much as I should.”  He mumbled.

He could sense Zelda’s disappointment.

“Oh. I see.” Her tone had changed completely and Link was willing to do anything to change it. He cleared his throat.

“I-I remember when we first met.” He said quickly. “I remember the day of the ceremony, with all the other champions. Um, and that day at the shrine when you were trying to get it to work—“

“You remember that? I was so horrible to you that day! Oh, that’s just wonderful.” She sighed.

“The frog!” Link blurted. He laughed a little, thinking about that day. “I remember you shoving a frog in my face once.”

Zelda smiled, her wide eyes crinkling in the corner. “It was a lovely frog. I’d never seen such bright colors on an animal before.”

Link nodded. This was good, he was making the princess smile.

“Is that all?” she asked.

The hero felt his shoulders dip. “I remember the rain.” He said quietly. “That night, when the castle fell. I remember holding you in the rain.”

A solemn expression came over Zelda’s face. Even now, those memories still felt so fresh. Like it had happened just days ago. Link wished he hadn’t brought it up.

“Yes, I remember that too. The rain was…cold.”

Link couldn’t help but agree. Suddenly, the princess turned to him with a small smile.

“Well, it seems we have a lot of catching up to do. You only seem to remember me at my worst or most embarrassing moments.” Zelda looked out at Hyrule Field with a dreamy look on her face. “This is not new, it only feels like it. It feels like we have a fresh start. And I for one, am looking forward to reminding you of all the good things we had done together. Because for me…travelling with you were some of the best times of my life.”

 Link felt like he was going to burst. He couldn’t remember all the good times he had traveling with Zelda. He couldn’t remember the long nights they spent on the road, the meals they cooked, the adventures they went on. But he could feel it. Zelda’s words felt right. It was hard, their journey 100 years ago, but it was also amazing. It was, in Zelda’s words, some of the best times in his life as well.

Link stood, brushing the dirt off his pants and gathering up the remains of their breakfast. 

"Lets be on our way. We have a lot of catching up to do."

Zelda smiled. "That we do." 


	24. "You know this, you know this to be true."-FFXV

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompto and Luna watch the sunrise.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just imagine, if you will, that Noct and the Bros caught up with Luna before Altissa. Just imagine Luna traveling with the boys, joining in on hunts, riding chocobos, becoming their friend. Imagine Noct and Luna falling in love with each other over this time, and it just being so cute and pure. Imagine Luna getting MORE DEPTH IN THE MAIN GAME.  
> Like don't get me wrong, I love this dumb game. Too much. But...It was hard for me to see the romance between Noct and Luna. I just wanted more, y'know? I wanted to see them falling in love, not have it told to me. anywho, i ramble. enjoy this AU.

Prompto had never been to the beach before. Galdin Quay was something to behold. The water was crystal clear, with sunlight dancing off the surface in glittering rays. The sand was almost soft enough to sleep on however it did kind of get everywhere. Prompto could spend a whole day washing his hair and still find sand hidden in his blonde locks. He didn’t mind, but their resident Mr. Clean, Ignis was a little more annoyed by the sand.

Prompto caught the usually collected advisor grumbling under his breath while he vacuumed floors of the Regalia viciously. It was actually pretty hilarious.

The stretch of beach was perfect for his morning run. The sand added a bit of resistance that made up for the lack of distance he was used to. Prompto ran along the beach twice, stopping at the haven to watch the sun fully rise.

Sometimes, he really couldn’t believe he was here.

“Good morning, Prompto.” A light, feminine voice came up behind him.

“Morn’ Luna.” He answered cheerfully.

“Could I join you?”

“Of course!” Prompto smiled enthusiastically. He dusted off the ground beside him as best he could and motioned for Luna to sit.

It had taken him weeks to call her Luna instead of Lady Lunafreya. Honestly, the same thing happened when he first befriended Noct. Of course back then, he didn’t have the other guys constantly making fun of him for it. That, and the stern look that Luna gave him when she insisted on the nickname was actually terrifying. No wonder this woman able to get the Titan to kneel to her. She was a badass.

Travelling with Luna added such an interesting dynamic to their group. And a heap of awkwardness. Their tent was only meant to hold four people after all.

But Luna wasn’t quiet the gentle flower Prompto always thought she was. The princess seemed to jump at the chance to get down and dirty and actually really enjoyed trekking through the woods when they were off on adventures.  She particularly enjoyed talking to Sania and helping the scientist with her research.

Prompto could actually see hearts in Noct’s eyes when Luna dove into the mud to catch a frog. Her light blonde hair was coated in brown muck, her hands full of a squirming frog, but her smile was so bright that even Prompto felt a little star struck. (That is an understatement. Prompto was utterly in love and pulled Noct aside immediately, telling his best friend ‘ _Dude_ , _you better marry that girl as soon as you can.’ ‘I’m trying, Prom!’_ )

Luna was the puzzle piece they never knew they were missing. And sometimes…sometimes Prompto wondered what it would have been like if they never managed to catch up with Luna. If she hadn’t been a member of their group at all.

“Did you have a nice run?” Luna asked, interrupting Prompto’s thoughts.

“Yeah. It’s a bit colder than I expected though. I should have worn a hoodie.”

Luna hummed. “Is this your first time by the sea?”

“Second, but the first time was back when we started this road trip. We uh, didn’t get to stay too long.”

“I suppose not. Well, I’m happy you get to enjoy it now. I’ve always loved the beach.”

“It’s growing on me too.” Prompto nodded. “But I think I’m still a city boy at heart. The hustle and bustle, that’s much more my style, y’know?”

Luna chuckled. “You have a point.”

They watched the water together, the air around them warming up. Slowly, the area began to come alive.

“So, what are you up to this morning, Luna?” Promtpo asked. Even if the silence was nice, he still had the urge to fill it. It was a weird trait he had.

“Well, I came by to check on the haven.” She patted the stone they were both sitting on. Prompto wasn’t sure, but it seemed as though the ruins glowed brighter for a moment.

“Oh really? Do you have to check on all of them?”

“Occasionally, yes. But considering all the travelling we’re doing, I’m not too worried about it. The havens can last quite a while without being refreshed, so there’s no need to worry.”

Luna’s oracle duties were still fascinating to Prompto. He sometimes forgot just how important she was when she was posing for picture with Noctis or helping Ignis cook. Then there was the time when Gladio bench pressed her much to the princesses delight.

Luna just seemed so normal now. Still wonderful, still magical, but other than that, a very normal young women.

It sucked that she had such a heavy burden to bear. Her and Noctis. They had to deal with so much. And who knows what could be coming.

“Is something on you mind, Prompto?” Luna asked. She was pretty perceptive. Almost scarily so.

Prompto shrugged. “Too many things, really. Haven’t been able to stop thinking since we left Insomnia.”

“Really? Like what?”

“Where to begin? I guess most of the time I’m either wondering if I’m doing alright with this whole Crownsguard thing, or what would have happened if we hadn’t caught up with you when we did. Those two are the loudest right now.”

“The loudest?”

“Yep. Trust me, my mind is like on hyper drive all the time. It is way too crowded up here sometimes.” Prompto tapped his forehead.

Luna was quite for a bit longer, her eyes downcast. “Is that…is that why you don’t sleep sometimes?” she asked quietly.

“…yeah. I can get a little overwhelmed . Get in my own head and stuff. Its—gah it’s hard to explain.”

Luna nodded. “I understand, Prompto. I don’t mean to push into talking about this.”

Prompto was quick to reassure her. “No! No it’s totally fine. I mean, if I don’t talk about it, things will just get worse, y’know? Trust me, during high school, Noct had to deal with a lot of late night calls from me. Especially during finals.”  

Luna laughed quietly, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. It was funny, every time someone brought up Noct, the smallest smile would light up her face. Seriously, his best friend needed to just marry her already and go on vacation. The Astrals could wait a few weeks.

“Well, know this, Prompto. I’d be more than happy to help you in the middle of the night as well. I’m sure Noctis and the others share my feelings.”

Prompto didn’t really know what to do with the sudden warmth in his chest. He really couldn’t believe after so long of being alone, that he could be surrounded by so many wonderful friends. A young version of himself used to dream of this moment. He wished for it, with all his might.

It was hard to believe that all of this, was true. That it was real.  

“Thanks, Lunafreya.” Prompto mumbled. “I don’t…I don’t know what to say.”

“You needn’t say anything. Now, shall we head back? Noctis will be asleep for a few more hours, but I’m sure Ignis or Gladio would be up. We can get breakfast.”

“Sounds good to me. Lead the way, Princess!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not gonna lie, this prompt got away from me. I had the line planned in my head, how it was going to fit into the story, but then this one took a turn. The prompt is barely in there and it's in pieces, but I liked this drabble too much to try and force it. I just love the idea of Luna and Prompto as BFF's :D


	25. "Go forward, do not stray."-FFXV

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Regis can't seem to leave the steps of the Citadel.

There was a deep sense of finality settling in his chest as Regis watched his son walk away. The four boys were in high spirits to start their journey and the King could remember the feeling perfectly well. The excitement, the nerves pooling in your belly. The feeling like this was exactly where you were meant to be, but at the same time you wanted to curl up in your bed and wait another day.

If only their journey would turn out the same.

The Regalia gleamed in the sunlight. Freshly polished and cleaned for his son and his retinue. In the back of his mind, Regis wished he’d have the time to get it thoroughly checkout by a mechanic, but it had slipped his mind. He didn’t worry too much, seeing as Cid’s garage was so close.

Regis stood at the stairs until the very last moment. He watched the Regalia drive smoothly down the long drive and pass through the iron gates of the Citadel. He stood at the stairs long enough to lose sight of the car as it merged with traffic and became lost among the crowded city streets. He stood there longer then he ought to.

 “You’re Majesty?” Clarus’ voice called down to him. The Shield must have come looking for him when Regis didn’t return right away.

Regis turned his head slightly, his eyes not drifting from the long road. Next to him, Titus Drautos was watching the King with interest.

“A moment of privacy?” He commanded quietly. Drautos nodded, turning to fetch Clarus and leave the two alone.

Once he was sure there was no one but his Shield present, Regis spoke. “Do you think that was too cruel? Letting him go without knowing what lies in wait?”

Clarus shifted. “I don’t think it was cruel at all. You did what you could.”

“I fear you think to highly of me, my friend.” Regis smiled, but it wasn’t full of anything happy. It looked more like a grimace, full of remorse and confusion. “There is so much he needs to know. And yet, I stood here, smiling. Telling him to _go forward, do not stray_. Doing nothing more than just pushing him down this path that will likely end in all-out war.”

“You’re too hard on yourself, Regis.” Clarus sighed. “The Prince will be fine. Gladiolus will protect him, as will Ignis. And though he doesn’t have the training, I’ve never seen someone as loyal as Prompto. With those three around him, Prince Noctis will be fine. Even if…even if we are not.”

And that was the difference, wasn’t it? Clarus only knew about the war. The Empire looming closer and closer with each passing day. Everyone knew the peace treaty was just a ruse. A formality. While no one could out right say the Empire was plotting something maniacal, it was in the back of everyone’s mind.

For Clarus, that was all there was. The very real possibility that a war would begin and that he and Regis would not be around to help their children fight it.

For Regis, it was a different story entirely.

A part of him was glad that his wife passed before they found out about Noctis’ fate. He couldn’t imagine her despair, knowing that her child would have to give up his life one day. If was for the greater good, yes, but why? Why must his son have to pay the price for someone else’s mistakes? Why must he, a boy just beginning to come into himself, be burdened with such a terrible fate?

It didn’t seem right. It didn’t seem fair. Of course, the gods were never known for their kindness.

Regis could only hope that he had done enough. That he had prepared Noctis for the trials he would soon face.

He just hoped that Noctis wouldn’t come to hate him for all that was left unsaid.  

“You’re Majesty; the council will be meeting soon.” Clarus interrupted his thoughts.

“Yes. Then I suppose we should be going.” Regis gripped his cane and turned away. The Regalia had long since disappeared from view.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...do you ever just sit back and think about how Regis knew? Cuz I do, and it hurts.


	26. But if you cannot see it, is it really there?"-Voltron

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A human, a vampire and a werewolf all walk into the forest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is in the same little universe from the Day 15 fic. Featuring Vampire Lotor :D
> 
> Also, fair warning, there is quiet a bit of talk about blood about two thirds of the way in. If that makes you uncomfy, please proceed with caution.

Two years ago, Lance met Keith and a whole new world had appeared.

Before Keith, Lance would have called himself a believer. He believed in ghosts. He believed in aliens. He believed that there was a whole level of life that no human could ever understand. Of course his sister was the exact opposite and liked to disprove Lance at any given moment.

In fact, most of his family were of the same mindset. They were more of the ‘if you can’t see it, is it really there’ type of people. It was kind of funny that he was a believer born into a family of skeptics, but it did lead to some pretty hilarious debates when Lance was younger.

However, for as much as Lance believed in the unknown, he never actually imagined that werewolves were prowling the woods behind his house.

Oh and apparently vampires were a thing too. And shapeshifters. Hell, Bigfoot was probably out there somewhere too.

After getting over the initial shock that the world was far more magical then he realized, Lance adjusted pretty well. It helped that the only supernatural creature he came in contact was Keith.

Until tonight.

Lance trekked through the forest, his flashlight pointed at the ground as he tried to avoid tripping. He was a little early to meet Keith, but Lance couldn’t help it. For the majority of the summer, Lance had been in Florida, visiting family and tanning on the beach. He’d only been home for a few hours but couldn’t wait to see his friend.

_Friends. Just friends._

_Yep._

_Nothing going on here. No hidden crush or anything._

_Nope._

(Let the record show that Lance McClain, age seventeen, was drowning in denial.)

It would take a while for Keith to realize Lance was waiting for him. Part of being a werewolf meant that his senses were crazy good, but his human side still dampened that power quite a bit. Lance wasn’t too clear on the whole thing, but from the sound of it there was a huge difference between a fully embracing the whole werewolf thing and living like Keith did. There was a lot about Keith that was just a big mystery.

After what felt like eons, the rusted playground came into view.

Lance, undisturbed by the creepiness, cleared away a spot to sit on the seesaw and placed his flashlight on the ground. The beam shot up into the dark sky. It was just another way to signal to Keith that he was here and waiting.

Lance didn’t notice the chill in the air. He didn’t notice the way his breath began coming out in visible little puffs. He didn’t notice the way his hands began to shake.

In his mind, everything was perfectly fine. The summer warmth still hovered around the trees, with a cool breeze flutter through the trees.

That’s what it wanted him to see. What it wanted him to feel.

This was how it hunted.

Lance felt content more than anything. His body seemed to melt, all the tension draining from his muscles like water slowly rolling down window. The yellow light of the flashlight was the only thing he could focus on. Like he was a moth captivated by a flame.

He didn’t see it coming up beside him.

The creature was old, far older then it wanted to be. And he was hungry.

The vampire sat down next to the dazed human, utterly captivated by warmth coming off of him. By the sound of his beating heart. By the flush on his cheeks.

The human was so alive it was almost aggravating. The vampire couldn’t help but envy the healthy tone of his tan skin.

Lotor couldn’t even remember when he looked like when he was alive.

“Even though you can’t hear me, I would still like to apologize in advance.” The vampire, Lotor, murmured. “I haven’t had a meal in so long, I might not be able to stop. Well, I guess that’s what you get for wondering into the woods in the middle of the night.”

Lance’s breath slowed, his half-lidded eyes still looking at the flashlight beam.

“Why are you here, anyway?” Lotor asked. “Surely you know it’s dangerous out here in the dark. Or are you just that irresponsible?”

Lance couldn’t answer. Lotor’s thrall had pulled him so deep, that he felt nothing but peaceful. Even though there was a predator mere inches away from him.

“I do hope you live through this.” Lotor spoke again. “I really hate killing humans. But, desperate times I guess.”

Lotor gently took hold of Lance’s arm, his thumb running over the veins in the human’s wrist almost reverently. The vampire didn’t like biting the neck. It felt both too cliché and too intimate all at once. That and if he accidently killed the human, he had a better shot at making it look like a self-inflicted wound.

He really hoped it wouldn’t come to that.

“I’ll try to make it painless.” Lotor whispered. His cold breath washed over Lance’s skin, making the human shutter involuntarily. Fangs hovered over delicate veins. Suddenly, the flashlight fell.

Lance’s blinked rapidly as he came out of the vampire’s thrall, but before he could fully come to, Lotor bit down.

Awareness slammed into Lance like a bus barreling into a brick wall. Lance screamed, pushing the vampire away with all his might. But his strength was nothing compared to the immortal creature.  

The moment Lance’s blood filled his mouth, Lotor knew he was a goner. In the back of his mind, he felt bad about what he was about to do, but the blood sent his mind into a frenzy. Every rational thought was shut out and all that matter was getting his fill.

Lance screamed again, thrashing against the iron grip the vampire had on him. “Let me go! Please, let go! Let go!”

His words meant absolutely nothing to the creature as he continued to drink. Panicked, Lance reached out and pulled on Lotor’s hair.

“Get off me!” the human shrieked. Lance was already beginning to feel dizzy.

Lotor growled. He release Lance’s arm and lunged at the human. He fell to the ground easily, his limbs writhing and flailing like a mad octopus. But no matter what he did, it wouldn’t stop Lotor from finishing his meal.

“ _Please_!” Lance cried in desperation. “L-let me go, please!”

Bargaining with a vampire was probably pointless, so Lance skipped straight to begging. He’d never met a vampire before. Hell, he didn’t even know if Keith had, but there was no denying what this person was. Lance just hoped that the vampire still had enough humanity left to spare him.

“ _Please_ …I don’t want to die…”  

The vampire either didn’t hear him, or didn’t care. His eyes were completely black and blown wide. Bright red blood covered his chin. Peeking out from his lips were pointed fangs that were also stained in blood.

This was like a goddamn nightmare.

The vampire had grabbed Lance’s arm yet again, blood still sluggishly trailing out of the puncture wounds on his wrist. Lotor squeezed the humans arm and watched in fascination as more blood began to seep from the wound. He didn’t get much farther than that.

Suddenly, a figure burst from the trees with a terrible growl. The vampire’s attention shot up just as the newcomer barreled into him.

The two were sent crashing into the old jungle gym, the metal snapping under the combined strength of the two supernatural beings.

Lance got up as fast as he could. He held onto his bleeding wrist as he scrambled to find a safe place to hide from the vampire. There wasn’t much, but Lance ended up diving into the collapsed tube slide. Lance curled into a ball, clutching his wrist to his chest. Outside, he could hear Keith fighting the vampire.

* * *

 

Keith had never felt so angry in his life. His heart was pounding in his ears, telling him to move faster, fight harder, to tear that goddamn vampire limb from limb.

It had been a nice surprise when Keith caught Lance’s scent on the wind. But when that smell turned to blood, panic consumed him.

Of course the night Lance was in trouble, Keith was further out into the woods then normal. It took nearly twice as long as usual to get to the abandoned playground they spent their time out. And when Lance _screamed…_

Instincts took over. Keith felt more like a wolf than ever before. His nails sharpened into claws, his teeth growing into fangs, and his eyes narrowing into slits. It was the first time he’d ever gone this far without it being a full moon. Keith would have been nervous about the affects if he wasn’t so hell bent on getting to Lance.

When Keith burst onto the scene, the vampire had Lance on the ground. Lance’s arm was covered in blood and by the look of it, the vampire was about to go for another bite.

Keith lunged for the creature. The next few minutes were full of just blind rage.

Keith had no control over his actions. All he wanted was to rip and tear and destroy the thing that hurt Lance. The creature that dared put that look on his face and made him beg for his life. Keith’s instincts were running wild with his need to protect his friend. His Lance. His…his _person_.

The rage pumping through Keith’s veins blinding him to the fact that the vampire was stronger than him. This vampire had years of experience over the young werewolf and knew just how to handle a beast when it lost control.

Before Keith could realize what was happening, the vampire leaped behind him. Two arms wrapped around him, one locking his arms to his side and the other tight around his neck. Keith thrashed wildly, his teeth snapping as he tried to bite the vampire. With a harsh pull of his arms, the vampire cut off Keith’s windpipe until only a sliver of air could pass through.

“Stop!”

Both creatures turned, their attention drawn to the human. Keith wriggled harder, trying to get to Lance.

“S-stop hurting him.” Lance’s voice was shaking. He was scared. Keith could practically smell it on him and it torn at Keith’s heart even more.

“Lan-ce…” Keith wheezed.

The human took a step forward. “Please, let him go. You…you can have me—“

“Lance, you idiot, don’t you dare finish that sentence!” Keith howled. Suddenly, he was finding it much easier to breath.

“I’m trying to save you, dumbass!” Lance argued back.

“I’m fine! You’re the one who needs saving. You’re _bleeding_!”

“And you’re in a choke hold! Stop being stubborn and let me save you!”

“You’re the stubborn one!”

In the midst of their argument, a third party coughed. Keith and Lance stopped, both looking at the vampire. Well, Lance looked. Keith could still only turn his head a little.

“It appears I made the wrong choice when it came to dinner.” The vampire said calmly.

“Yeah, no shit!” Keith yelled. “Now let me go and so I can tear you apart!”

“While I admire your fire, young one, I don’t think you’re going to win this one.”

“Oh yeah? Let me go and I’ll prove you wrong!” Keith squirmed like a rowdy puppy that didn’t like to be picked up.

The vampire sighed. Then he looked at Lance with clear eyes. “Let me introduce myself. My name is Lotor. I’m not from around here, so I don’t quite know what other supernatural beings live in the area. I don’t like killing humans, but well, things had become quiet desperate for me. When I saw you alone in the woods, I’m afraid I had a moment of weakness. My apologies.”

Lance blinked as the vampire did a sort of bow while Keith was still squirming in his arms. This was…not the way he expected this to go.

“Um, apology accepted?”

“Lance! Don’t do that!” Keith yelled. Honestly the more he fought against Lotor’s iron grip the funnier it became. “He’s just trying to trick you!”

Lance sighed. “Dude, he doesn’t need to trick me. I’m pretty sure he could kill both of us without breaking a sweat.”

“Actually vampires don’t sweat at all.” Lotor chimed in.

“Huh, really? Weird.”

Keith growled. “Lance! Why are you so okay with this?!”

“I mean, weirder things have happened. I’m friends with a werewolf for crying out loud. Oh, also I’m bleeding can we like, wrap this up so I can get medical attention?”

Lotor dropped Keith almost instantly. The two supernatural beings rushed to his side, arguing about how best to help the human.

Lance sighed, wondering just when his life became so weird.


	27. "Remember, you have to remember."-FFXV

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Five years after the light returned, Prompto sees someone familiar.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> totes inspired from the cliffhanger series ending to Teen Titans. If you've seen it, you know.

Prompto wasn’t imagining it this time. He wasn’t. Who cares what Ignis said about grief and depression and his ‘mind playing tricks on him’ or whatever. Prompto know what he saw. He could never forget Noctis.

It’s been five years since the sun came back and not a day has gone by that Prompto hasn’t thought about Noct. None of them had stopped mourning their friend, not really. The cost of loving someone so much meant that when they were gone, they took a part of you with them. They were all suffering in little ways. All of them missing their king, their friend, their brother.

But for Prompto, there was so much _more_.

Words he never had the courage to say. Feelings that he pushed further and further down until they were smothered by insecurities.

Prompto always knew that falling in love with his best friend couldn’t ever lead to a future together. No matter what his heart wanted, it just couldn’t be. Noct was king, more so than that, he was the only person with the power to stop evil and bring back the sun.

Noct did all those things. He gave the people back their homes, their hope. He gave everything to bring peace to the world. And Prompto and the others lost family.

But maybe not.

Prompto felt his heart pounding in his chest. It was like taking a hammer to a pane of glass. He wasn’t sure when, but it felt like it was going to break at any moment.

_I saw him…he was there! Where did you go? Noctis…where did you go?!_

It had been a completely normal day. Prompto was out getting groceries when he saw him. Dark hair that almost looked blue in certain light. A slim frame that held all the regality and presence of a true leader. Tired eyes that were filled with warmth and kindness…

It was him. It _had_ to be him. Prompto wasn’t imagining it this time. He _saw_ Noctis.

The early morning crowd seemed to part as Prompto ran down the street. They looked at him, confusion and worry etched on their faces, but Prompto didn’t have time to care about how he looked. He just had to catch up to Noct.

Prompto spotted him across the street and felt his heart leap in to his throat. There was absolutely no way to deny it this time. Prompto momentarily froze as he took in the sight of his best friend for the first time it years.

_It’s him…it really is him!_

The second the light changed, Prompto took off like a bullet. He ran across the street, nearly running headlong into a man talking on his cell phone. He was so close.

_Noct is here. He’s okay! I can’t believe it…Noct, Noct, Noct…_

_“_ Noct!” Prompto shouted.

Everyone looked up. Prompto barreled into Noctis, hugging him tightly and trying not to sob.

“It’s you. It’s really you! Noctis…”

“Uh, I think you have the wrong guy.”

It took Prompto a moment to realize what Noct said. He was too preoccupied by the sound of his voice to think past much else. But then his excitement dwindled when he realized Noct was a stiff as a board. His best friend was much for hugs, but he never reacted like this before. Prompto pulled back.

“What did you say, Noct?”

Noctis looked…uncomfortable. “I think you have the wrong person. That not my name.”  

Prompto blinked. This was Noct. There was no denying it. He looked just the same as the last time Prompto saw him. That memory was clear in his head, something that Prompto couldn’t ever forget. The steps of the Citadel in front of them, the daemons growling in the distance, and Noct, standing tall at the top of the stairs as he bid them all a final farewell.

This was the same man who stood on the steps that final day. Prompto was sure of it.

“Noctis…don’t you remember?”

“Remember what?” the man asked. “Look, I’m sorry, but I don’t know what you’re talking about. And that’s not my name. My name is Casus.”

“No its not.” Prompto blurted. Noct looked both amused and confused.

“I think I know my own name.” he sounded kind. And he also sounded exactly like Noct.

Prompto’s mind was spinning. This was, undeniably Noctis standing in front of him, but it was like he didn’t remember who he was. Was this because of the crystal? Did it alter his memories after being exposed to it for so long? Or was this the work of the Astrals? Of Bahamut himself?

Neither of those explained the fact that Noctis died. He died in the throne, sitting with his father’s sword buried in his chest.

Prompto knows what he saw that day, but he also knows that Noct is standing in front of him now. It didn’t make sense…it didn’t make _sense_ …

“Hey, are you okay?” Noct—no, Casus, asked.

Prompto felt like he was anything but okay. “I…I don’t understand.” He mumbled.

“Uh, is there anything I can do for you? Like maybe call someone?”

“Remember, Noct…”

“What?”

Prompto looked up, his eyes blazing. “You have to remember, Noctis.”

“What? There’s nothing too remember. I’m not the person you’re looking for.”

“Yes you are!” Prompto’s voice boomed over the hustle and bustle of the street. “You’re Noctis, my best friend and one of the few people in this world that I call family. I know that it’s you! You have the same face, the same voice, hell you even _stand_ the same way! You’re Noctis. I know you are.”

Casus’s eyes were wide. He looked utterly shocked by Prompto’s outburst. But that shock melted in to sorrow, and even more so, pity. Prompto felt his heart clench.

“I’m sorry. But I’m not the person you’re looking for.”

And just like that, Prompto’s world shattered for a second time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I gave this new Noct the name Casus Chrodus, which literally means 'second chance' because i could.


	28. "I felt it. You know what I mean."-Voltron

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Idk man. Fluff and stuff.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (i'm like, high-key pretending i'm not behind lol)

“Okay, try this one.” Shiro slide another mug of steaming coffee across the counter. Lance took a swig of water, swishing it through his mouth to get ready to try another brew.

The mug was warm in Lance’s hands, but it was probably the only great thing about the coffee. For as wonderful and amazing as his friend Shiro was, the man could not make a good cup of coffee. But he tired, oh did he try. It was a good thing Adam was around, or Lance was pretty sure their little coffee shop would have died long ago.

Lance took a small sip of the dark drink, trying not to make a face when the overwhelming peppermint flavor hit his tongue. He set the mug down carefully, forcefully swallowing the drink.

“So? What do you think?” Shiro asked for the fourth time that day.

It took Lance a moment for him to get his tongue to work. Was peppermint supposed to make you mouth numb? “I think you went a little heavy on the syrup there, buddy.”

“Ah, not again.” Shiro mumbled.

The front door rattled, still not fully attached to the door frame after being removed during the ongoing renovations. Adam stumbled in and stared at the door.

“I thought you were going to fix this, Takashi.” He scolded.

“I was getting to it.” Shiro untied his apron, wipping down the counter with it. Lance chuckled at the look Adam gave him.

“Morning Lance. What are you doing here today?” Adam asked. He leaned against the counter, flipping through a pile of mail while he talked.

“I’m just waiting for Keith. We’re going to the beach today.”

“Oh right, I forgot that was today. Did you grab sunscreen for him?”

“Yep got it.” Lance nodded.

“Good. He always forgets.” Adam spotted the mug in front of Lance and frowned. He glanced behind the counter and spotted three more mostly filled mugs. “Oh no, don’t tell me Takashi was experimenting again.”

“Yeah…quick question, is peppermint supposed to burn?”

“Not usually, no.” Adam groaned. With a loud sigh and a quick glance to his fiancé, Adam strolled around the counter and set to work cleaning the dishes.

There wasn’t much more to be done until the coffee shop was ready to go. The new flooring was polished and gleaming, the contemporary light fixtures installed and all the new equipment was in its proper place behind the counter. The coffee shop still had a bit of its quirky charm of course. The table and chairs still didn’t really match and the big plush couch in the corner had the most tacky pattern that Lance had ever seen. There was still room for local artists to display their work and the billboard had been rehung, ready for people to post fliers and posters.

Lance loved this place and all the history it held. He was happy that it still felt the same after all the work Shiro and Adam put into it. Lance was glad it still looked and felt like the place where he met Keith.

There was a crash from the drive through window. It was a sound that Lance was strangely familiar with. Adam didn’t even look up as he motioned for Lance to head to the window. This had become routine in the early mornings.

Lance made it to the drive thought window just in time to see his boyfriend fall to the floor. He sighed, trying to hold in his laugh.

“And what was it this time, sunshine?” he asked, holding out a hand to help Keith up.

“There were Girl Scouts out there.”

Lance blinked. “Okay, I’m confused this time. Why was that a problem?”

“They have card readers now Lance. I would have spent my whole paycheck on Thin Mints and Samoa’s.”

“Y’know, your lack of impulse control is truly frightening.”

Keith fixed him with a very familiar glare.

“Ooo I felt that glare. It’s like your superpower. Super scary eyes! The power to freeze your foes with one look!” Lance puffed out his chest and did his best superhero pose. Keith was not impressed.

Lance shrugged. “Well, I guess we have to wait for the Girl Scouts to leave because there is no way I’m climbing out the window.”

Keith grumbled, moving past Lance and heading towards the front. However, Keith stopped dead moments later.

“Keith? Whats— _oh_.” Lance clamped his mouth shut, stifling a laugh.

Three little girls and their mothers were crowded in the open doorway on the coffee shop. Shiro and Adam were talking with them happily, both of them with boxes of cookies in their hands. Lance swore he saw Keith’s eye twitch. He slid up next to his boyfriend and threw an arm around his shoulders.

“Well looks like you stealthy escape attempted was in vain, samurai.” Lance smirked. “Time to give in an taste the forbidden fruit.”

Keith turned to Lance a confused frown on his face.

“Yeah, that didn’t really make sense, but you know what I mean.” Lance shrugged. “Now get over there and buy me some Thin Mints!”

“Please don’t let me spend all my money.” Keith groaned. He was already reaching for his wallet.

“No worries, but I require at least three boxes of cookies.”

“Yeah, yeah I know.”

Lance had to physically take Keith’s wallet after one of the girls tried to get him to buy another five boxes. His boyfriend really had no impulse control.    


	29. "At least it can't get any worse."-Liverpepper

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sora has nightmare.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More Liverpepper! I'll post the art that inspired this soon.

It had been going on for years. For as long as he could remember, Sora has had nightmares.

They didn’t happen every night. Maybe once a month at most, but they were always so vivid and real that they wouldn’t leave his mind for weeks.

Black monsters with glowing yellow eyes. Darkness swirling beneath his feet and swallowing him whole. Paralyzing cold surrounding him, wrapping him up and never letting go.

The nightmares were always different, but they left him feeling empty and afraid every time. Sometimes he’d dream about his family. They’d all be together, but separate. Leon and Cloud weren’t married, they weren’t even in love. They were little more than strangers who knew Sora only by name and not as their son.

And then there were the dreams where Roxas wasn’t his brother at all. He was just, there. By himself. Alone.

Those were the most confusing ones.

Sora’s eyes opened slowly, his lashes weighed down from sleep. It took him a while to focus on his bed room ceiling after the intense nightmare he just woke up from. This time the monsters had been wearing silver and moved like they had no bones in their bodies. Slithering like snakes and lashing out just as fast.

Sora’s heart was still pounding as his mind replayed pieces of the nightmare over and over. Why did they have to linger like this?

Moments later, Roxas’s cell phone alarm went off. There was a groan from the bottom bunk as his twin brother was forcefully pulled out of sleep. Sora smiled pushing off his covers and reaching for his own phone as the alarm began to blare.

“Wakey wakey, Rox.” Sora singsonged. He peaked over the edge of the top bunk and tried not to outright laugh at the look on his brother’s face. “It’s your turn to shower first.”

Roxas grumbled, his hair plastered onto one side of his face. Sora was pretty sure there was a trail of drool on his cheek too.

“Ugh…whoever invented school deserves to be punished.” Roxas grumbled.

“Well maybe if you hadn’t stayed up late playing Zelda, you wouldn’t feel like death.” Sora teased.

“I had to keep playing. I wouldn’t have been able to sleep if I hadn’t beaten that Divine Beast.” Roxas rolled out of bed, rubbing his eyes and yawning loudly.

Sora watched his brother move like a zombie through their little bed room while he tried to make his way to the bathroom. His latest nightmare was already beginning to sink into the back of his mind as the day began coming alive. Already, Sora could hear Leon in the living room turning on the TV to one of those early morning news shows. Cloud was probably already starting breakfast.

His nightmares weren’t all that bad when he thought about it. Sora had been living with them his entire life after all.

“At least is can’t get any worse.” He whispered to himself. The mornings were always so nice and normal and good that it made the fear he felt from his nightmares fade away quickly.

Sora really thought that it would be okay.

 

 

This was nothing like his other nightmares.

For starters, Sora was completely aware that he was dreaming and he couldn’t do anything other than react.

He was in a town that looked like it had recently been attacked. The houses had wooden planks across the windows, makeshift patches for the holes in the ceilings and chunks of bricks missing from the walls. There were cracks in the sidewalks that were nearly big enough for Sora to step in.

This strange town was a mess. And it was surrounded by monsters.

The same monsters that had plagued his dreams for years. The dark ones with yellow eyes and the white one that moved so eerily. They were swarming the town walls, fighting each other as they tried to get to the people tucked away in their homes.

Sora was running. His chest heaving like there wasn’t enough air to breath. He needed to find his family. He needed to make sure they were safe.

He kept seeing facing of people he knew all throughout the town. Yuffie and Aerith leading people to safety. Pence and Olette shouting at Hayner to follow them inside a nearby house. Sora saw everyone. Cid, Zexion, Axel, Riku, Kairi…everyone.

Sora ran into Cloud near the town wall. The brick was beginning to shift and crack as the monsters tried to break through. This man didn’t look like his Pa. Didn’t sound like him or act like him. He looked tired and worried, with deep bags under his eyes and a greyish pallor to his skin. Sora swore he saw a bruise-like geostigma sore creeping up Cloud’s neck.

The young teen asked where Leon was, where Roxas was, but Cloud looked at him like he was crazy. He didn’t know either of those names. Cloud pushed him away, shouting at him to get inside to safety. And then, he was gone.

Sora kept running. He ran into Leon next. Leon, with his hair cropped shorter then Sora could ever remember. Where his scar used to be was a fresh, deep gash that was still dripping blood. A wound like that was bound to leave an even worse mark on Leon’s face. It nearly sliced his face in two. Leon hardly paid Sora any mind when he asked him where Roxas was. Leon shoved Sora down the road, telling him to get out of there, fast.

That wasn’t his dad. His dad wasn’t so cold.

No matter where he looked, no matter who he asked, Sora couldn’t find Roxas. Everyone he’d ever met was in this nightmare, but not his brother. Not his twin.

Eventually, Sora ran around the entire battle torn town, only to crash in to Riku.

Riku pulled Sora up by his arm, not letting go while he pulled the younger to safety. Sora didn’t want to go, not without finding his brother.

_Brother? Sora, what are you talking about? You don’t have a brother._

The nightmare quickly crumbled after that.

 

 

Sora woke with tears bubbling in his eyes and a weird sort of emptiness in his chest. He sat up slowly, taking a minute to look around his room and remind himself that he was okay and awake. Then, he shuffled to the edge of the bunk and leaned over the side.

Roxas was fast asleep, an impressive puddle of drool on his pillow. Sora watched his brother lightly snore for a few more seconds before sitting up properly. He quietly chuckled, a few stray tears falling loose.

“Just another bad dream, huh?"


	30. "Do we really have to do this again?"-Voltron

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> More werewolf Keith and human Lance

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> kinda like this AU. maybe i'll make a fic of it one day lol.

“Do we really have to do this again?” Lance squirmed where he sat, his attention drifting to the train window.

“Yes,” Keith replied. “We’re going to do this until you take this situation seriously.”

“C’mon, Keith, you need to chill. They’re your family! They know not to eat me.”

“Werewolves don’t eat humans, Lance.”

“Well then you have nothing to worry about.” Lance reasoned. Keith did not see it that way.

This was the first time Keith was going home to see his mother after the Calling. The Marmora Pack couldn’t leave their territory even for a day without someone else coming to try and snatch it up. They were a small pack, which meant that even if one werewolf left, it was like losing a whole battalion.

But Lance wanted to meet Keith’s family, and even though he was hesitate, Keith really wanted Lance to meet his mother. There were just some rules that needed to be followed.

“Okay, let’s just go over everything one more time. For my sanity?”

Lance rolled his eyes. “Alright alright, shoot.”

“Okay, so what’s rule number one?” Keith asked.

“Don’t go anywhere alone. Especially outside of the boarder.”

“And?”

“And even if we go outside the boarder, I have to keep the wolfsbane in my hand at all times.”

Keith nodded. “Good.”

“Quick question, if I have wolfsbane out in the open, won’t that drive you guys away too?”

“Not me. Especially since it’s the new moon.”

Lance hummed, pretending like he understood. It’s been years, but all this werewolf stuff was still confusing.

“I’m going to pretend like I understand the mystical science going on here.”

It was Keith’s turn to roll his eyes, but Lance was fairly certain that there was an exasperated sense of fondness in that expression somewhere. Even so, Lance could tell that Keith was nervous.

Going into werewolf territory, no matter if it was friendly or not, was dangerous business. But it had to be done. The magical world had to know that Lance was claimed, protected. That no one could touch him or his family, otherwise there would be a whole pack after them. Lance had to become familiar with the wolf pack. Learn to recognize them in case something ever came up. Even though Keith chose to live as a human and move to the city with Lance, there was always a chance that something supernatural would run into them. This was a precaution as much as it was vacation.

Lance sat up in his seat, turning a bit to put his full attention on Keith.

“Okay, what’s the next rule again?” he asked.

Keith focused those wide, wild eyes on Lance and smiled ever so slightly. “Don’t take food from a werewolf. Don’t even joke about taking food from a werewolf. Unless you want to lose your hand.”

“Wait, I thought you said werewolves don’t eat humans?”

“There are exceptions to every rule.”

“What the—wait, your joking aren’t you? Ugh you jerk.”

Keith laughed. “Well, I was joking about the hand thing. But seriously, don’t try to take anyone’s food.”

“Duly noted.”


	31. "I've waited so long for this."-Voltron

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Belong.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (this may or may not be a little snippet of my current ongoing fic, Fool Me Twice. which i'm totally working on. yep. tooooooootally. i'm not like, sitting on the same 3000 words that i wrote months ago and got horrendously stuck because i have to write a heist which means i have to plan a heist which even though i've watched all the oceans movies, i have no idea how to do that and oh would you look at the time? I've got to go. so daaang i can't even work on my heist scene cuz hot damn wouldn't you know i'm going on vacation and most of you here probably don't even read my other fic, but it's been dormant for like two months, and i'm feeling guilty lol.)
> 
> ANYWHOO YAY WE MADE IT. ENJOY.

They were kissing. And not just the cute, quick peck on the lips like two infatuated teenagers. No this was movie level making out. The type where the music swells in the background with the camera spinning around the two actors in a slow and memorizing fashion. This was…this was really happening.

Keith couldn’t even remember what day it was. He couldn’t tell you where his lips ended and where Lance’s began. Hell, he could barely remember to breath. All he could do was kiss back.

His hands were grasping, moving along Lance’s back and trying desperately to bring him closer. Lance’s long fingers were buried in Keith’s hair, while his other hand was tight around his waist.

It felt like it had taken eons to get to this moment. So much heartbreak and pain. So much worry and fighting and just, so much _stuff_ kept getting in the way. But none of that mattered any more. None of it was even real. All that mattered, all that existed, was this. Lance kissing him, holding him…loving him?

Love…it had been so long since Keith had thought about love.

For a long time, it didn’t seem real. It was a fairy tale, a myth, something a person like him didn’t get. Keith was the villain in a lot of stories. He was the mysterious shadow in the night that stole everything and left without a trace. Keith could argue that he was hardly even a character in most stories. He was just a cold wind slipping thought an open window. Gone nearly as soon as he came.

Everything changed when he met Lance.

From that first day in class when Lance cheerfully introduced himself to every day in between. Lance made Keith’s life brighter. He made sure that Keith knew he was a good person. That no matter what he did in his past, he was still Keith. Still good.

Lance pulled away suddenly, gasping for air. He leaned his forehead against Keith’s, his half lidded eyes never leaving Keith’s face for an instant.

“I’ve waited so long for this.” He murmured and god, his voice was _wrecked_. Something in Keith’s stomach jolted at the sound and his heart beat impossibly faster.

“M-me too.” Keith breathed. “I…I didn’t think it would happen.”

“I did. I never lost hope.”

“Never?”

Lance smiled and cupped Keith’s cheek with his palm. “Never, _mi alma_. Things were pretty crazy for a while, but I never stopped hoping.”

Keith knew his cheeks were about as red as cherries and probably hotter than the sun, but he didn’t care. This is where he always wanted to be. This is where he belonged. He belonged with Lance, warm in his arms and whispering in the night.

He belonged with Shiro. His family, his brother by choice and such and kind and wonderful person it was a wonder how he put up with all the random shit Keith threw his way.

He belonged in his city. Living with his brother in an apartment building where the lobby smelled like Indian food.

Never in his life had Keith ever felt like he belonged. And now, after ten years of struggling and fighting for his freedom, Keith was finally where he needed to be.

He was home.


End file.
